How Consumers Are Eating Pizza
In observance of National Pizza Party Day we surveyed our consumers to get a sense of how they enjoy a slice of this cheesy pie.
Snapshot
Consumers are eating carryout/delivery and frozen pizza most often.
Consumers eat dine-in and homemade pizza for the taste of it and as a treat; and eat frozen pizza for price & convenience.
Consumers are getting creative and using breads, naan, English muffins and tortillas to make their own version of pizza.
Consumers say thin and crispy is the way to go and there is an emerging trend surrounding cauliflower crust.
Consumers are adding more vegetables as toppings to their pizzas.
Consumers look for bold and new flavors when purchasing frozen pizza.
Most Popular Pizza Consumed
With so many different options from homemade to frozen and take-and-bake to delivery, we wanted to understand how consumers capitalize on pizza eating. We discovered that the most popular pizza consumed was carryout / delivery and frozen. Approximately, 60% of consumers reported eating frozen or delivery pizza once per week to 2-3 times per month. That’s a lotta ‘za!
Carryout / Delivery
Frozen
Take-and-Bake
Dine In
Homemade
So, Why Pizza?
We wanted to know why a consumer chooses a certain pizza option. We gave them six different reasons ranging from price to taste. Here’s what they said:
Consumers that chose a dine-in option and homemade pizza responded that it was because they wanted a taste and a treat. While consumers who chose take-and-bake options responded that it was for convenience. However, consumers who chose frozen pizza said it was for convenience and price.
Make it Homemade
While 70% of consumers reported making homemade pizza, it is more infrequent than other options with 52% reporting they make it once a month or less. However, those consumers who reported making homemade pizza specified whether the dough they used was homemade or store bought and the results were split.
Of those that used store bought pizza dough, consumers said they used kits from Italian Deli's, mixes, pre-made and refrigerated/frozen crusts.
We also learned that consumers like to get creative when making pizza at home. We found that instead of just using traditional pizza dough, consumers are using items like tortillas, breads, naan and English muffins to make their own version of pizza.
The Secret’s in the … Crust
Despite the Chicago-land area being a deep-dish nation, we were surprised to learn that thin and crispy is the most popular crust among our consumers.
“It is possible that consumers are becoming more health conscious and being selective about carbs while still enjoying the taste of pizza.”
However, 20% of consumers are looking past the traditional crust options and opting for cauliflower-based crusts. This could be driven by the surge in plant-based snacks and beverages as well as the rise in keto-friendly diets.
Will the cauliflower pizza crust trend continue to grow?
To Top it All Off
The obvious answers for consumers favorite toppings are cheese (97%) and sausage (78%). However, we were surprised to learn that 61% of consumers are adding mushrooms and 60% are adding peppers, which to many are considered polarizing ingredients.
“It is possible that this is a way for consumers to add vegetables to their diet.”
Insight into the Frozen Pizza Trend
Since consumers reported that they ate frozen pizza the most, we wanted to understand why frozen pizza.
WHat consumers look for in a frozen pizza
Surprisingly, we discovered that consumers wanted new and bold flavors when purchasing a frozen pizza. Spicy enchilada pizza, here we come!
new flavors
69 percent of consumers look for new flavors when buying a frozen pizza.
bold flavors
68 percent of consumers look for bold flavors when buying a frozen pizza.
brand
61 percent of consumers look for a specific brand when buying a frozen pizza
price
68 percent of consumers look at price when buying a frozen pizza.
classic flavors
67 percent of consumers look for classic flavors when buying a frozen pizza.
size
51 percent of consumers look at size when buying a frozen pizza.
Top Frozen Pizza Brands
When we asked consumers which brands of pizza they reach for in the frozen section at the grocery store, some of the top brands they mention include the following:
Home Run Inn
Jack’s
TombStone
Red Barron
DiGiorno’s
Big picture: are consumers craving more from their frozen pizza?
We think so …
When we asked consumers if they add additional toppings to their frozen pizza, almost 50% reported adding more ingredients.
Consumers are looking for more cheese, garlic, seasonings and sauce to add on their pizza. This could be an opportunity to market and produce a product that ‘has it all’ with no need to amp it up. What could this mean for a new generation of frozen pizza products?
Overall, we learned that the most popular pizza consumed is carryout/delivery and frozen. Of those consumers that fall under the frozen pizza category, 50% reported adding more toppings, while those that chose to make their own at home are getting creative by using non-traditional crusts like tortillas, English muffins, breads and naan.