A report in the March 30 USA Today stated that sales of DiGiorno pizza were $382 million last year -- up from $0 in 1995.
The report credited clever marketing, the pizza's bake-to-rise crust and unique offerings, such as stuffed crust and "half" toppings (half sausage, half plain) as reasons for the rapid growth.
"Back in 1995, consumers perceived a big quality gap between frozen and carryout," said Rhonda Jordan, executive vice president of Kraft Foods North America and general manager of the company's pizza division. "We established a whole new standard in the category. It's all about bringing consumers new things that they want and like."
The article also cited a study by Information Resources, which said frozen-pizza sales were up 6.4 percent for the 52 weeks ended Jan. 27. The category represents an estimated $2.6 billion dollars a year in grocery store sales.
This year also marked DiGiorno's displacement of Tombstone at the top of the frozen pizza heap.
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