Pizza, consumption on the rise, but it is frozen food that beats all

And it is precisely in the world of frozen food that the competition in Italy is being played out. And not only because it represents 86% of the pizza turnover in large-scale distribution (490 million euro sales), but also because it is a sector in strong evolution, where both average expenditure and frequency of purchase are increasing. And where two different trends have established themselves. The classic round pizza, purchased above all for its convenience in terms of saving dinner, has been joined in recent years by large formats, which optimise oven space, allowing more people to be satisfied, and are offered with sophisticated toppings. Thus, winking at the world of gourmet pizza, they have moved frozen pizza into the realm of sharing, pleasure and sociability, becoming a tasty and convenient alternative to buying in pizzerias by the slice and take-away. These two segments are battling it out on equal terms, with round pizzas showing a better annual trend (+5% in volume against +3.2% for XL pizzas) but remaining inferior in terms of turnover (182 million euro against 204 million for the big ones).

But it is not only in Italy that pizza flies. It is foreign countries that are now intercepting the interest of manufacturers, who are more committed than in the past to finding new outlets and gaining space in the vast global market for frozen pizza (especially 'Italian' or 'Italian-style' pizza) which, according to a study by Market.us Media, is now worth $21 billion and will reach $40 billion within a decade.

A market that is appealing to many. Such as the German giant Oekter, which has included among its 'brand jewels' the frozen pizza brand Ristorante (with which Cameo achieves 30% of its turnover in Italy) that is already worth more than one billion euros in sales at European level. Italian competitors are not standing idly by and, after the commercial development phase, are now aiming to produce directly abroad also to overcome duties and barriers.

Last January, the giant Italpizza (over 430 million euros in revenues, 60% of exports) reopened the former Buitoni/Nestlè plant, closed for two years, a bridgehead for northern European markets. It will invest 12 million euro there by 2028 to produce, when fully operational, almost 100 million pizzas a year.

Another protagonist of Italian deep-frozen pizza, the Roncadin group (over 200 million euro turnover 2024), has set its sights on the United States. It has launched its first factory in the USA, with a capacity of 25 million frozen pizzas per year, and is already planning to double that capacity, thanks to an 18 million euro loan obtained in January from Bcc Iccrea and Simest.