From Our Print Edition

Whether indulgent or functional, frozen pizza continues to deliver as dollar sales edge up another 0.6%.

Thanks to gains by all five of the top-selling brands, including private label, total frozen pizza dollar sales edged up 0.6% during the 12 weeks ended Jan. 26 (versus the same period a year ago), falling just short of $1.2 billion across channels, according to Chicago-based market research firm IRI (iriworldwide.com). However, both unit sales (-2.0%) and volume (-1.1%) were down slightly, underscoring a continued shift to more upscale offerings at both of ends of the health and wellness spectrum.

PREMIUM ITEMS DRIVE GROWTH

Palermo’s adds four “first-of-their-kind” hemp-infused crust varieties to its upscale Urban Pie lineup.

On the indulgent side of the category, over-the-top stuffed crust, double-decker and double-topped products as well as those that offer regional authenticity (thinkDetroit-style or Chicago deep dish) continue to challenge take-out and delivery. For example, reports Scott Conerly, junior vp of marketing for Wild Mike’s Ultimate Pizza (wildmikesultimatepizza.com), the Clackamas, Ore.-based company’s new Double-Topped Pizzas (in Uncured Pepperoni and Combination flavors) have been a huge success since their introduction last year. Though still in limited distribution, “They’re the Rolls Royce of frozen pizza, rivaling take-and-bake and delivery options for a fraction of the price,” he says.

However, much of the premium action is taking place on the better-for-you side of the category where “emerging brands that focus on modern health (e.g. veggie crusts, low carb, grain-free, etc.)… are charging a premium for those attributes,” explains Lauren Biegger, manager of the Udi’s brand (udisglutenfree.com) for Chicago-based Conagra. But a growing number of consumers want more, even from convenience products like frozen pizza, prompting manufacturers to roll out more functional pies that don’t just remove undesirable ingredients but add beneficial ones.

“Buzzwords like ‘micronutrients’ and ‘phytonutrients’ are popping up in everyday conversations, and families are looking for manufacturers of one of America’s favorite foods to incorporate ingredients that offer those nutrients,” confirms Todd Niezgodzki, vp of sales and marketing at Tempe, Ariz.-based Spinato’s Fine Foods (spinatos.com). Citing consumer burnout over cauliflower- crust products, the company debuted a line of broccoli- crust pizzas in late 2018. But it wasn’t just trying to be different. Not only is broccoli packed with desirable nutrients, says Niezgodzki, “It’s a better source of vitamins A, C and K and delivers 50% more protein than cauliflower.”

To give consumers more flavor options, Spinato’s just debuted two new broccoli- crust flavors at Expo West: Uncured Pepperoni and Get Meaty, both made with rBST-free cheese, nitrate-and nitrite-free pepperoni and vine-ripened tomatoes and herbs from local farms. In addition, the company rolled out a certified gluten-free frozen broccoli-based pizza crust called 1Crust that allows consumers to create their own custom pies at home.

HEMP-INFUSED CRUSTS HIT STORES

Among the most innovative new offerings in the functional frozen pizza segment is a line that features a first-of-its-kind hemp-infused crust. Offered by Milwaukee- based Palermo’s under its premium Urban Pie Pizza Co. brand (eatuppizza.com), the collection includes four flavors (Chicken Pesto, 6-Cheese, Spinach & Roasted Mushroom, and Pepperoni & Chicken Sausage) built on artisan crusts made with THC-free hulled hemp seeds.

EVOL debuts a pair of low-carb, high-protein, keto-friendly pies featuring chicken and cheese crusts.

Packed with plant-based protein and both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, “Hemp has recently gained traction in the market for its purported health benefits,” including anti-inflammatory properties, says Palermo’s chief product and innovation officer Nick Fallucca. Like all Urban Pie varieties, he adds, the new hemp-crust offerings are made with 100% real rBST-free cheese, meats raised without antibiotics and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives.

Another new functional pizza offering that also allows consumers following one of today’s most popular diet plans to enjoy the food they miss the most comes from Conagra- owned EVOL (evolfoods.com). While veggie-based crusts meet the needs of those going gluten- or grainfree, swapping bad carbs for better carbs doesn’t help keto followers who really need lower carbs, explains senior brand manager Alan Brooks. In addition, “Consumers who adhere to extremely low carb eating plans like keto demand high fat and a good amount of protein,” which most veggie crust brands don’t offer.

To fill that gap, EVOL is rolling out a pair of keto-friendly frozen pies featuring crusts made of (antibiotic-free) chicken and cheese. Available in Cheese and Uncured Pepperoni flavors, the gluten- and grainfree SKUs deliver up to 38 grams of protein per serving and contain 8 grams of total carbs and zero grams of added sugar, says Brooks. “But don’t think they’re just for carb counters,” he adds. The chicken and cheese crust is so tasty, “You won’t even miss the bread.”

Despite new crust options, the “regular” gluten-free segment remains very popular, and manufacturers continue to expand and improve their lineups. For example, Conagra recently upsized its Udi’s pies from 9 to 12 inches in response to growth in the multi-serve gluten-free segment. “We’re also using a new sauce recipe for a juicier, even more delicious pizza. Plus we’ve added more cheese and toppings,” says Biegger.

Another player in the grain-free space, Denver-based Capello’s (capellos.com) just added two new flavors to its Paleo-friendly almond flour pizza lineup: Margherita and White, the latter of which is described as a category first.

STUFFED CRUST CHEESY BITES COMING SOON

While traditional pies remain consumers’ favorite, pizza- inspired products have popped up in nearly every category in the supermarket, but perhaps none so frequently as frozen snacks and handhelds. One to watch for: Wild Mike’s Stuffed Crust Cheesy Bites. Already a huge hit in schools, according to Conerly, the clean label product taps into the whole bite-size snacks trend. “We’ve had literally hundreds of requests for a retail version, so we expect it to be very successful when it hit supermarkets, hopefully in the fall,” he reports. The bites will be offered in both traditional Cheese and Jalapeno flavors.

Building on growth in the plant-based frozen pizza segment, another new bite-size pizza snack comes from plant-based brand MorningStar Farms (morningstarfarms.com), a division of Battle Creek, Mich.-based Kellogg’s. The company’s new Veggitizers Pizza Bites will be offered in both Veggie Pepperoni and Veggie Sausage flavors, both made with 100% plant protein.

On the frozen handheld entrée side, Red Baron (redbaron.com) from Bloomington, Minn.-based Schwan’s Consumer Brands recently debuted three flavors of Pizza Melts, which feature traditional pizza toppings between two crispy slices of bread.

FROZEN PIZZA

Sales in supermarkets, drugstores, mass merchants, military commissaries and select club and dollar stores combined for the 12 weeks ended Jan. 26, according to IRI (iriworldwide.com), the Chicago-based market research firm. Percent change is versus the same period a year ago.