What? Eight percent of adult Americans would rather abstain from sex for a year than give up pizza! Really, now?
That tidbit of statistical information is among other interesting insights garnered from a national survey published in a report entitled “Pizza Lovers in America 2015: Unexpected Findings from a Generational Look At Pizza Trends.” The goal of the poll, commissioned by Austin, Texas-based Smart Flour Foods and carried out by the Center for Generational Kinetics, was to discern consumer attitudes about pizza and identify emerging sales trends across restaurants and retailer food stores in the USA.
“Understanding the makeup of today’s pizza lovers – in particular, the emergence of Millennials (persons born from 1977-95) – will have a significant effect on every pizza retailer and restaurant,” said Jason Dorsey, co-author of the report. “We are excited to deliver research findings that separate fact from fiction and give leaders the insight they need to make the most of changing pizza trends.”
The survey of 3,288 consumers representative of the United States Census with regard to gender, age, religion and household income found that 35% of Americans go out for pizza and buy frozen pizza at supermarkets or other local retail outlets every month. This demographic group was coined “pizza lovers,” and 1,004 of them were surveyed in greater detail. Perhaps surprising to some readers, 63% of pizza lovers in the United States are women. Furthermore, 41% of those women are Millennials and 68% of all pizza lovers engage in physical exercise two or more times per week.
So, the majority of pizza lovers are not only women, but many are young and health conscious as well. For this group, natural ingredients and gluten-free options are very important, with 60% looking to avoid products that contain synthetic hormones, high fructose corn syrup, trans fat and artificial preservatives.
Thirty-one percent of pizza lovers say gluten-free ingredients rank high in importance when selecting a frozen pizza to purchase. For context, 38% of Millennials say gluten-free is important when buying a frozen pizza compared with 26% of consumers aged 35 and older.
The research also determined that Millennials are driving many of today’s pizza trends and inspiring new behavior such as social sharing and turning to the Internet for product information. This group of consumers, which now numbers approximately 80 million, is likely to outspend Baby Boomers (persons born in the years 1946-64) by as soon as 2017.
Meanwhile, the consumption of pizza is no longer limited by time of day or meal occasion. Indeed, 72% of pizza lovers and 77% of Millennials overall think it’s perfectly fine to eat pizza for breakfast and dinner on the same day.
“The findings of the study validate our mission as a brand and the products we have brought to the marketplace,” said Sameer Shah, Smart Flour Foods vice president of marketing. “Smart Flour Foods offers pizza that delivers great taste, texture and nutrition through the power of ancient grains and natural ingredients. It’s great to continually hear that our pizza is right in line with the priorities of today’s consumer.”
The study goes into a detailed demographic breakdown of pizza lovers and provides insights into their buying behaviors and purchasing decisions. It also offers action strategies for retailers and restaurant operators.
Requests for an executive summary of the report may be made by sending an e-mail to info@smartflourfoods.com or visiting www.smartflourfoods.com.
