Pizza and pasta still the sector to follow

“The recession has done little to curb consumers’ appetite for these foods,” it suggests. “People still see eating out as a top spending priority and the convenience mentality has similarly buoyed takeaway sales although pressure remains on spending.”

Sporting events like the Euro 2012 football championships play to pizza and pasta specialists’ advantage, while location is a key influence on decision making. “Convenience is a significant factor in consumers’ choice of restaurant with about 25% of users saying location is more important than the outlet brand.” Another interesting insight drawn from Mintel research is that use of pizza and pasta restaurants is much higher among younger people than older counterparts.

Marketing identifies operators including Domino’s, Carluccio’s and Jamie’s Italian as among the sector’s winners of the last few years, and singles out individuals from leading chains as among the key players: Pizza Hut’s chief marketing officer Christopher Tebben, Domino’s sales and marketing director Simon Wallis, Pizza Express marketing director Emma Woods and Prezzo marketing manager Jordan Cohen.

For the full story, see Sector insight: Pizza and pasta restaurants.