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France-based pizza chains more expensive, less innovative than independents, study says

The study is designed to capture a price index for out-of-home food consumption, provide price indications and flag price disparities based on city region density.

April 8, 2015

France-based Indice Pizza (Pizza Index) published the results of its economic index, which bases its findings on the average prices observed for the Regina pizza, a benchmark pizza in the country, across France's 22 administrative regions, according to a press release. The study is designed to capture a price index for out-of-home food consumption, provide price indications, and flag price disparities based on city region density.

Results indicate the average price of a Regina pizza in France is €10.54 (up 2.90 percent from 2013) and that prices vary significantly between regions at €9.37 for the cheapest region, Burgundy, and €11.58 in the Paris region, Ile-de-France.

The French pizza market reached an overall value of €5.36 billion (up 1.36 percent), representing 809 million pizzas consumed (+1.20 percent) and 20,432 points of sale (+0.82 percent).

''France remains in the world's top two pizza-consuming countries. It is a much-appreciated stand-alone dish with less and less of an Italian connotation. The French have really taken over and adopted the pizza, which, like other consumer products, is moving upmarket in both fast food and on-premises catering,'' said Managing Director Bernard Boutboul of Gira Conseil, the restaurant marketing and development agency the conducts the annual pizza index study.

The index also shows that pizza kiosks now sell the cheapest pizzas in France, at an average price of €8.46 (-3.30 percent) due to a substantial increase in the prices observed in pizza vans (+9 percent), the study said. Delivery is the most expensive way of buying pizza in France, with an average price of €12.54 (+4.36 percent), indicating a 48 percent gap between the cheapest and most expensive venues.

French pizza chains, on average, sell more expensive pizzas than independent stores, the study said, at €10.85, (+2.10 percent) compared to independent restaurants at €10.34 (+4.30 percent). Independent pizzerias in France are showing more innovation in the area of products, as they create 'more original and high-quality recipes,' according to the study.

''These new market players are responding to consumers' demand for quality and contributing to the renewal of the pizza market by redesigning its codes through new products, new décors and high-quality products, which are often locally sourced,'' said Boutboul.