“Based on sales and traffic numbers, some believe the big four pizza brands (Dominos, Pizza Hut, Papa John’s and Little Caesars) are consumers’ first pick, but when we dig a little deeper, we found that the top choice is actually no preference,” said Dana Baggett, client strategy director, restaurant division at Vericast.

“This lack of preference and loyalty means consumers can be swayed to change brands with incentives.”

With inflation top of mind, consumers are more price conscious and grocery stores are elevating their pizza incentives. Over the past two years, retailers have increased their frozen pizza brand promotions 214 percent and consumers have noticed.

In a typical week, 43 percent of recent pizza restaurant guests purchased frozen pizza. This swing to at-home pizza options is further evidenced by a 11 percent growth in frozen pizza sales over the last year. As a result, retailers are cashing in, boosting share and wallet.

“The pizza battle is on, and grocery stores are winning,” Baggett said.

“Consumers are shifting to at-home pizza, resulting in the big four pizza players losing 3 percent share of wallet compared to same time last year, according to Numerator. If they convert just 5 percent of their guests who purchase frozen pizza each month, they could earn roughly $500 million collectively. Brands who deliver targeted offers across digital and print channels will win loyalty and business.”

Rising prices continue to affect consumers. Vericast’s 2023 Restaurant TrendWatch report, which surveyed 2,000 adults in the U.S. to assess shifting consumer behavior, found about half are eating out less often due to inflation. In addition, 18 percent of consumers are opting for less expensive brands of pizza or restaurants. This behavior increases among frequent pizza restaurant customers – those that order from restaurants once a week or more – with 25 percent selecting less expensive options.

Other key report findings include:

• Consumers weigh their options as eating out becomes more expensive:
  • Most consumers (64 percent) surveyed agree rising prices are making restaurant dining too expensive. However, 41 percent of those surveyed note that with food prices rising at grocery stores, it is not necessarily cheaper to eat at home.
  • As a result, consumers are trading down and looking for deals. Half say coupons and discounts help them choose between restaurants, and these same savings can entice 53 percent of consumers to try a new restaurant.
  • This presents an opportunity for pizza brands – and grocers and restaurants alike – to offer incentives to be top of mind when hunger strikes.
• Brands can win customers with coupons and loyalty rewards:
  • Forty-two percent of those that order from restaurants once a week or more use “Save Direct Mail” to decide where to dine, and about 80 percent say they spend more at a restaurant when they have a coupon or discount.
  • Fifty-eight percent of frequent pizza consumers said that in the past 30 days a coupon or discount changed where they decided to dine or order.
  • If a restaurant does not reward loyalty with coupons and discounts, consumers will switch to one that does. This has increased since 2021, driven by a nine-percentage-point increase among Gen Z consumers.

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“Make-A-Wish New Mexico is fortunate to have the support of community partners like WisePies Pizza, who step up year after year to make sure we have the resources necessary to grant life-changing wishes,” said Sara Lister, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish. “We are grateful that they help us bring joy to the souls of our wish kids.” 

The WisePies Pizza Run is expanding locally with participation expected to double to 600 runners and virtually with an increase in participation in other markets across the nation. This annual event will continue to feature a one-mile fun run/walk designed for families and light activity, as well as timed 5K and 10K runs to challenge experienced runners.

Attendees and participants can expect to enjoy music, prizes, celebrity runners, family-friendly activities and hot pizza for all participants and volunteers. 

“We want to keep granting wishes until there’s no more to grant. It’s a privilege to be able to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation of New Mexico and have a small part in the larger impact this organization is making in the lives of children experiencing critical illness,” said Season Chavez, president of WiseChoice Foods.

“I’m impressed by the support of our incredible community sponsors including our title sponsor for the second year in a row, Albertsons Market, and our location partners, Mesa del Sol and Guzman Construction Solutions. Our new sponsor partners include M&F Auto, our exclusive wellness sponsor Molina Healthcare, the City of Albuquerque and the new Truly Lounge brought to you by Admiral Beverage Corporation. 

To get involved in the WisePies Pizza Run, visit wisepiespizza.com/pizzarun. 

Participation in the run is $49 until April 1 and then increases to $69, with day-of registration available at $85. This gives a participant a spot on the starting line for the chosen event, an exclusive themed T-shirt or tank top, a WisePies Pizza of their choice and refreshments following the event.

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Murray Lender, founder of Lender’s Bagels, developed the first promotion in 1984 as an initiative to increase frozen food sales. The promotion is now nationally recognized and promotes the benefits and importance of engaging shoppers and encouraging the purchase of frozen foods.

NFRA has sponsored March Frozen Food Month since its inception and continues to promote the frozen food aisles to consumers by sharing resources with its members, including recipes, point-of-sale materials, social content and tips. NFRA also administers the Golden Penguin Awards Competition, which honors the best marketing and merchandising in the industry during promotional periods.

The awards provide an opportunity for companies to be nationally recognized for excellence in merchandising and marketing frozen foods. This national competition is open to organizations of all sizes, including retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, sales agents and associations.

The program features categories that reflect today’s marketing practices, including in-store display, in-store event, community involvement, social media campaign, retail dietitian wellness programs, private brand campaign and overall marketing campaign with subcategories for: retailer, wholesaler, manufacturer, sales agent and local association.

Judged by a panel and based on final entry scores, winners receive a gold or silver award and will be honored for their work at the NFRA Convention, taking place Oct. 6-10 in San Diego. A segment of the highest scoring winners will be named top marketers, which is unveiled during the awards luncheon at the NFRA Convention.

Entrants can submit their supporting documentation online starting in March and can enter any category applicable to their business by May 5. Companies can also participate in the competition for NFRA’s other annual promotions including June Dairy Month and Summer Favorites Ice Cream and Novelties.

For complete awards competition details, visit NFRAweb.org.

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The new items include a frozen croissant-shaped gnocchi pasta product called Crocchi that was chosen as one of Oprah’s Favorite Things for the 2022 holiday season. The pasta is cryo-frozen and packaged in high barrier, modified atmosphere containers. Northwest Frozen also producesfrozen meals as private label items for a large grocery retailer in the U.S.

The new design delivers hermetically sealed meals with a specific, low oxygen atmosphere inside the package to help keep the food fresh. The company worked with Northwest Frozen to provide a lidding film that could seal on high-speed machines to crystalized polyester trays and through contaminants such as sauces. Seal integrity is critical throughout the distribution cycle. The meals are frozen and then sold in refrigerated temperatures at retail stores.

“We feel honored to work with such an entrepreneurial company as Northwest Frozen…From the very beginning of the project, they worked diligently on creating a system to assure the best performance and consistency,” said Chadd Floria, VP of sales at Preferred Packaging.

Other applications for Affirm lidding films include all natural foods that are packaged and processed with high pressure pasteurization.

“The team at Preferred Packaging helped us launch our new line of products within a very tight timeframe. They not only supplied us…film that worked best but they also provided expertise in modified atmosphere packaging and shared valuable experiences,” said Kevin Peterson, director of operations at Northwest Frozen, d.b.a. Banzai Sushi.

For more packaging news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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The three-day event brings frozen and refrigerated food industry professionals together to network and learn about consumer insights on industry growth and trends. NFRA encourages professionals of all levels to attend, as the informal atmosphere will encourage group discussion and personal interaction.

The conference will open on April 17 with the optional Greater Penguin Golf Tournament at the Raven Phoenix Golf Club, followed by an evening welcome reception at the hotel.

On April 18, the event will offer a lineup of speakers, beginning with the retailer keynote by DeBoer. Jason English, Goldman Sachs, will offer an update on the state of the U.S. consumer as it relates to income, inflation and net savings/credit. 

David Portalatin, The NPD Group, will review the Future of Dinner report on consumers continuing to prepare and eat meals at home after the pandemic. Bryan Gildenberg, Confluencer Commerce, will dive into how retailers are winning over shoppers; and from Cornell University is Ana Krieger’s interactive presentation helping attendees learn basic approaches to improve sleep health and daytime performance.

Sessions continue after lunch with SpartanNash, as well as Ian Jenkins, 4media, who will give a preview on research being conducted on behalf of NFRA. A reception will close the evening, where attendees can mingle and get to know fellow industry professionals.

On April 19, the conference will conclude with breakfast and a final informational session from Ben Metzger and Chris Johnson of Cleveland Research Group on transportation trends and key themes in refrigerated/frozen retail. Attendees can learn about NFRA’s PR and marketing initiatives and how to get involved by attending the promotions committee meeting or the ReDiscover dairy and frozen session explaining the joint promotion.

Registration is open on the conference website at NFRAExecutiveConference.org. Sponsorship and advertising opportunities are also available.

The Shelby Report of the Southeast recently named DeBoer as its Female Executive of the Year, as well as naming Harris Teeter as its Retailer of the Year. To read the full section, click here.

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Warner is a business leader with expertise across several industries. His knowledge and leadership in supply chain management, technology, sales and marketing will be beneficial for Reddy Ice’s continued growth and focus on transformational initiatives.

He succeeds Deb Conklin, who will work with Warner over the next month to ensure a smooth transition as she exits the company for a new opportunity. To read more about that in The Shelby Report, click here.

“I am grateful for the hard work of outgoing CEO Deb Conklin, who has done an amazing job over the past five years and led the company to where it is today. Deb will be moving to KeHE as their President and CEO, which is an incredible opportunity for her, and we wish her great success in the future,” said Shawn Malleck, chairman of the board.

“We are pleased that Lonny has accepted the role as CEO at Reddy Ice. He has broad and unique experience that will serve this business well, from the operations/logistics side to the service and technology expertise that will allow us to continue to set the standard in the packaged ice industry.”

Warner was previously the COO at CSC ServiceWorks, where he delivered material improvements in productivity and improved EBITDA results. Prior to CSC ServiceWorks, he held senior leadership positions, including COO, SVP and general manager at The Brink’s Company and held various positions at Con-Way/Menlo Logistics earlier in his career.

“I am excited and humbled to take on the responsibility of guiding this iconic and premium brand to its next stage of growth and development,” Warner said. “I look forward to the opportunity of working with Reddy’s employees and management to drive innovation, deliver client and customer solutions and enhance the value of the company.”

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Frozen food prices on a per unit basis increased 16.8 percent in November, unchanged from the increases seen in September and October. This is more than three percentage points higher than the total store average.

Virtually all areas within frozen experienced increases in the mid-teens, with frozen fruit and vegetables and processed meat sitting in the low twenties. Seafood inflation has come down substantially, offering the question of whether it will result in an upswing in volume.  

Out-of-stocks and SKU reductions are prompting a tighter assortment in the frozen food department. Lapping the declines in assortment seen throughout 2020 and 2021, the number of items per store in the frozen food aisle averaged 1,359 in November. Year-on-year, this was down 0.8 percent but compared with 2019, assortment was down 5.1 percent.

That means the many fewer items need to work harder to accomplish the same sales and shoppers may divert dollars when finding planned purchases out-of-stock. That said, some areas have expanded in assortment since the start of the pandemic, including meals, processed meat/poultry and snacks.  

The November sales growth over 2022 levels was supported by all areas within frozen, with the exception of seafood. The biggest sales boosts came from frozen potatoes/onions and processed meat, such as chicken nuggets and sausage. The only areas to have year-on-year unit growth were processed meat and fruit. 

Thanksgiving holiday shopping and consumption patterns provide a glimpse at what the winter holiday season may look like. According to the IRI November survey, consumers are split between being excited to have something to celebrate and pulling back on spending given the reduction in purchasing power.

Meals remain central to celebrations. For Christmas, 22 percent prepare a special meal for just their household and 17 percent host or attend a meal with friends or family outside of the immediate household. Others go on a vacation, travel or had not yet made plans in the November survey for the December holidays. 

AFFI members have access to more in-depth information through the IRI portal on the AFFI website. For more information about the association, visit affi.org.

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The AFFI commissioned 210 Analytics to survey a diverse range of households modeled to the U.S. Census to better understand shopper perceptions, shopping habits and applications of frozen fruits and vegetables. The report, “Frozen Fruits & Vegetables: Perceptions, Uses and Expectations among U.S. Consumers and SNAP-Eligible Households,” revealed that the widespread purchase and use help increase produce consumption.

Among the more than 1,500 consumers surveyed, 86 percent agreed that having frozen fruits and vegetables makes it easier to eat more produce. Eighty-three percent reported that frozen fruits and vegetables help them to reduce food waste and save money due to the key attributes of frozen such as a longer shelf life and ability to only prepare what you need. Additionally, 76 percent of respondents agreed that frozen fruits and vegetables help them eat produce that they otherwise may not know how to prepare.

“The frozen food category offers a variety of solutions for today’s consumers, and frozen fruits and vegetables remain an important component,” said Alison Bodor, AFFI president and CEO. “This survey confirms that shoppers are finding different applications and benefits as they integrate these products into their meals.”

The sales of frozen fruits and vegetables in the U.S. reached $7.1 billion over the 52-week period ending June 26, and product volume was 271 million pounds above pre-pandemic levels at 3.9 billion pounds. The top products within the segment were plain vegetables, potatoes and onions and fruit, with sales of $2.9 billion, $2.3 billion and $1.5 billion, respectively.

Shoppers integrate frozen produce in many different ways during mealtime. The most popular uses of frozen fruits and vegetables were as sides to a main entrée (63 percent of all frozen fruits and vegetables buyers reported this usage), as ingredients in beverages and smoothies (50 percent) and as additions to pasta and rice dishes (44 percent).

Nearly all shoppers also reported that they bought both fresh and frozen produce and relied on frozen fruits and vegetables to help hold them over between shopping trips when low on fresh produce. This data aligns with findings in AFFI’s Power of Frozen 2021 market research which found that most consumers integrate both fresh and frozen produce in their meal planning.

The survey also included a special review of households that meet eligibility guidelines for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Eight out of 10 SNAP-eligible survey respondents agreed that frozen fruits and vegetables make it easier to eat more produce, prevent food waste and help save money. These findings indicate the important role frozen food plays in federal feeding programs.

“As the food industry and policymakers explore ways to improve nutrition and reduce hunger across the country, frozen foods must be part of the solution,” Bodor said. “Shoppers recognize that frozen fruits and vegetables offer an easy and convenient way to further include produce into their diet, all while stretching their dollar further thanks to the reduced waste.”

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Kevin Schwab, EVP and CCO of sales and marketing for The Pictsweet Co., has been elected to serve a second term as NFRA board chairman. Schwab has served on the NFRA board from 2003-05 and again from 2012-22. He served as chairman-elect from 2019-21. Schwab is also a member of the Honorable Order of Golden Penguins.

Other officers announced at the meeting were Neil Ritchey, InnovAsian Cuisine Enterprises, chairman-elect; Tracy Aquila, Southeastern Grocers, secretary; Mark Tarzwell, Ateeco/Mrs. T’s Pierogies, treasurer; Tye Anthony, Associated Wholesale Grocers, vice chairman – frozen; and Joey Bates, Harris Teeter, vice chairman – refrigerated.

Newly elected to the NFRA board were: Bryan Chartrand, Acosta Sales & Marketing; Parag Shah, The Giant Co.; Clinton Wilson, Sargento Foods; Shawn Darmody, Target Corp.; and Teresa Whitney, Albertsons Cos..

Re-elected to the association board were: Jim Buchta, Crossmark; Tony Caloroso, Schraad Sales and Marketing; Angie Christos, Tyson Foods; Derek DeMuth, Ajinomoto Foods North America; Joe Mueller, Kellogg Co.; and David Panter, Associated Food Stores.

National Frozen and Refrigerated Foods Association is a nonprofit representing all segments of the frozen and refrigerated foods industry. It is the sponsor of March National Frozen Food Month, June Dairy Month, June/July Ice Cream & Novelties promotion and the Cool Food for Kids educational outreach program.

To read more stories from the NFRA presented by The Shelby Report, click here.

The association provides consumer information such as food safety guidelines, meal preparation tips, recipes and sweepstakes opportunities. 

Further information about the association can be found at NFRAweb.org.

To read more association news from The Shelby Report, click here.

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Motive Reefer Monitoring includes a new Environmental Sensor that remotely monitors reefer temperature and humidity conditions in real time. With this capability, businesses have all their fleet data on a single screen, including location, vehicle telematics and reefer insights.

The solution makes it also possible to create reefer logs for any time period on demand without the need to visit a service center, which reduces cost, decreases reefer downtime and improves the service that fleets can provide to their own customers. It also helps the fleets to comply with the Food Safety Modernization Act requirements.

“Delivering ice cream at -20°F when it’s 90°F degrees outside requires us paying great attention to the conditions inside our reefers,” said Marc Cain, transportation manager at Mayer Bros Apple Products. “Motive Reefer Monitoring enables us to set the report for every 15 mins to ensure there are no issues with the load. Having this level of visibility saves us five-10 hours per week in fleet manager productivity and prevents any spoilage.”

For customers using Thermo King reefer units, Motive collaborated with Thermo King to introduce a new integration that enables monitoring of reefer telematics data from the Motive Fleet Dashboard. This integration helps to avoid any food spoilage and lower the operating and maintenance cost of the reefer systems by detecting any problems.

In addition, the new integration enables customers to remotely program and control reefer units to eliminate manual pre-cooling before a trip, saving time and reducing the potential for human error.

“Our ‘Voice of the Enterprise’ survey shows that integration is a major issue for fleet owners,” said Mark Fontecchio, research analyst at 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence. “It is the second-largest inhibitor to IoT initiatives at commercial transportation companies, behind only security concerns. Fleet owners – including reefer operators – often want their technology to come pre-integrated and available to see on a single dashboard, rather than having to switch back and forth between multiple applications to find the information they need.”

Jai Ranganathan, chief product officer at Motive, said, “Our new device and the partnership with Thermo King gives our customers a single location for managing their entire operations. Our strategy enables our customers to access and take actions on all of their vehicles and equipment, including refrigeration units, in a consolidated dashboard within our Automated Operations Platform. We then use the power of our AI capabilities to make informed decisions about how to get the most value out of those assets.”

Motive’s Environmental Sensor and integration with Thermo King is available to customers in the U.S. and Canada.

To learn more, visit gomotive.com/products/reefer-monitoring-system.

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