It’s the new year, and you know what that means: more trend predictions. For convenience stores, January is a great time to take stock of what’s been selling—and what could sell even more.
So for 2016, it’s time for cheese pizza, simple subs and basic breakfast to move over. Our findings from research groups and successful retailers tell us more unique flavors and ingredient pairings are on the rise, especially when it comes to pizza. Take a look.
1. Extreme Meat Makes Moves
Meat lovers rejoice: Extreme pizzas, loaded with pepperoni, sausage and even ground beef are in, proving the indulgence-seeking c-store customer remains as strong as ever.
“We take the biggest orders for our meat lovers’ pizza, which has ground beef, sausage, pepperoni, crisp bacon and Canadian bacon,” said Jeannie Koskie, manager of the Bronco Spur convenience store in Utica, Neb., which offers fresh, made-to-order pies through Land Mark Product’s Piccadilly Circus Pizza program. Koskie notes that agriculture and construction workers in the area favor this heartier, portable meal-in-a-pie.
But pepperoni and sausage beware: Chicken has grown in popularity on pies at quick-service restaurants and on fast-casual menus nationwide, which suggests that lighter proteins might help draw in more women, family-centric and younger customers.
Menu research firm Food Genius found poultry protein comes in third behind pepperoni and sausage with 57% menu mentions. At QSRs with check averages under $8, chicken popped up on 25% of pizzas, behind only pepperoni (35%) and sausage (25%). Chicken even slightly beat out sausage at fast-casual restaurants with average entrees $7 to $12, and it beat out pepperoni at restaurants with check averages $11 to $20.
And pizza’s even gone fishing, with seafood proteins such as shrimp, anchovy and clams taking up some of the pie, the firm reported.
2. Barbecue Beats Out Tomato
The chicken-pizza fever might go hand in hand with the rise in barbecue-sauce-based pizzas. In fact, BBQ chicken pizza has become a viable go-to item alongside classics such as cheese, sausage and pepperoni. Bronco Spur most recently introduced a fresh-to-order BBQ chicken option that’s been selling well, Koskie said.
Food Genius also found that “barbecued” style pizzas ranked most popular on menus nationwide, with 32% of menu share, well above classic margherita (20%), vegetarian (16%) and supreme (11%).
In fact, the tangy-sweet sauce narrowly pushed out classic tomato with the most menu mentions at restaurants nationwide at 22% vs. 23%, according to Food Genius. But it beat out basic tomato at restaurants with $7 to $12 entrées, signaling its growth in the fast-casual sector. For retailers, this can be a competitive opportunity.
3. Vegetarian Steals Pie Share
Despite the growth of protein-packed pies, more c-stores—and foodservice outlets in general—have experimented with vegetarian options, and not just in the form of a plain cheese pie. Other veggies such as spinach, broccoli and eggplant have brought more color, flavor and texture to the one-dish meal, especially at fast-casual restaurants, according to Food Genius. Like lighter protein pies, these toppings also help draw in more women and younger customers.
And some pies have even gone cheese-less for the vegan or lactose intolerant. “We have been getting many more orders for pizzas with no cheese and extra vegetables,” said Koskie of Bronco Spur.
Like Bronco Spur, as c-stores expand their fresh pizza programs, they’re able to be more creative. “We have quite a creative crew,” said Ewald Fehlhafer, owner. “Recently, they made a pizza with pepperoni and jalapenos on a peanut-butter and cream-cheese base. It was an odd combination, but tasted great, and we even got some requests for it from customers.”
The jalapeno-cream cheese combination (minus the peanut butter) has even moved into the sandwich lineup atop one item on Bronco Spur’s ever-growing burger menu.
4. Breakfast Takes Over the Day
The ever-expanding breakfast category has taken over the pizza sector, too. “Our breakfast pizzas are huge,” said Koskie. Bronco Spur’s version has a garlic-butter sauce base topped with eggs, bacon, sausage and cheese, or a combination of those toppings. “We work with a lot of schools and construction companies who will order this pizza all day long. We’ve made sure to offer both personal and large sizes any time of day.”
Recently introduced calzones—including a breakfast option with eggs, sausage and cheese—have helped Bronco Spur bridge the gap between pizza and traditional breakfast sandwiches. Customers favor the size and portability of a calzone compared to a pizza, as well as the exciting upgrade from a more traditional, biscuit-based morning meal.
“Breakfast seems to be doing well at all times of the day; people work different shifts now, so everyone’s meal times are changing,” Koskie said. “The price is also usually good for breakfast items vs. some other products.”
This post is sponsored by Land Mark Products