With more people eating at home during the past couple of years, the frozen pizza industry has been booming. For a quick ready-to-make meal, it is hard to beat the convenience and crowd-pleasing taste of a good frozen pizza. Pair it with a salad, and you have a complete family-friendly meal.
Consumers weren’t the only ones finding recent comfort in frozen pizzas. Grocery and convenience stores saw a significant uptick in sales of the comfort food. The success we are seeing now has the opportunity to continue and even grow for retailers that pay attention to consumer needs and stock up on customer favorites.
The Recent Rise of the Pizza Pie
Hot pizza straight out of the oven is a pleasure anytime and can bring up happy memories of past celebrations. When times are tough or uncertain, being able to enjoy a delicious and affordable frozen pizza can feel like an exciting treat. In the economic strain of the past couple of years, the frozen pizza industry has been resilient, thriving where others have struggled.
Grocery and convenience stores have benefited from the frozen pizza boom. As the world settles, there is still an opportunity to thrive in this market by keeping up with the wants and demands of consumers. Increases in disposable income, health considerations, and higher living standards will drive demand.
America Loves Pizza
While everyone knows that pizza originally comes from Italy, Americans have certainly adopted the dish. In the US, we have beloved pizza styles for every region: New York, Chicago, Detroit, etc. The two biggest days of the year for pizza delivery sales are Halloween and Super Bowl Sunday; how much more American can you get?
Not only is pizza delivery incredibly popular in the US, but frozen pizza is also in high demand. North America has the largest share of sales in frozen pizza, and it is continuing to grow. If you take a trip down memory lane, chances are frozen pizza products play a part in your own history.
Opportunities
As the world settles into a new normal after the past couple of years, the need for at-home meals is no longer the main driving force behind frozen pizza sales. Instead, the primary demands from consumers are value and quality. Consistently high-quality pizzas made from the best ingredients will convince customers to keep frozen pizzas in their freezer.
Innovations in product development, especially those that keep up with on-trend ingredients and styles, will drive future sales. Another area that frozen pizza manufacturers, as well as retailers, should be aware of is consumer’s desire for health conscious options. When choosing between different frozen pizza options, a health-conscious buyer will favor those made with real, all-natural ingredients over those laden with chemicals and preservatives.
While many buyers may initially be attracted to the lower calorie count of a thin crust pizza, a quick glance at the list of ingredients will reveal complex names for additives they don’t recognize and can’t pronounce. Discerning consumers know that thicker, deep dish pizza crust offers not only a more authentic and satisfying taste and texture, but is a great health conscious choice. All-natural ingredients give rise to the best dough, no matter how you top it.
Another trend related to both health consciousness as well as the demand for higher quality food products is an increase in the availability of frozen pizza dough balls at local grocery stores. This allows for the convenience of frozen food, with the semi-homemade taste of pizza prepared in your own kitchen.
Partnering with pizza dough suppliers also allows grocery and convenience stores to prepare their own frozen pizzas created with ready-made dough and on-trend ingredients. Grocery stores and other food businesses have this chance to offer fresher alternatives to the pre-packaged frozen pizza products on all the other store freezer shelves.
Frozen pizza brands are accessible at multiple price points, making pizza an affordable option for any budget. For the higher-end products, grocery and convenience store customers have shown that they are willing to pay higher prices for top-quality premium pizzas. Pizza lovers these days expect the same high-quality taste and experience from frozen pizza that they would get in a delivery or restaurant pie. Frozen pizza retailers will continue to have opportunities for increased profits by keeping up with popular consumer trends and by providing quality pizza product options at varying price points.
The Future of Frozen Pizza
The future of frozen pizza is looking bright. Many trusted pizza product manufacturers are investing in research and development to improve upon freezing technologies which will further elevate frozen pies. Pizza crusts in particular, will continue to be a primary focus. A good or bad crust, especially considering the oven variability that goes along with at-home baking can be the deciding factor in the probability of repeat sales.
It is predicted that North America will continue to dominate the frozen pizza market in the next decade. This is a good sign for frozen pizza sales at all grocery and convenience stores. As consumers today are more educated on food, and more selective with the products they choose to buy, pizza and pizza dough manufacturers will need to continue to focus on quality and innovation to meet customer demand.
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Frozen pizza’s popularity has significantly affected grocery and convenience businesses in the United States. As people opt for more inexpensive and convenient dinners, frozen pizzas have become extremely popular in these establishments. As an appealing alternative to more expensive ready-to-eat foods, bakery products such as frozen pizza boost sales growth in these establishments. As a tempting alternative to more costly ready-to-eat foods, bakery products such as frozen pizza contribute to the increase in sales at these businesses.
