Domino's Pizza adds digital group ordering

Domino’s Pizza has added yet another new function to its suite of digital ordering technology with the introduction of a group ordering tool for large parties.

The pizza chain is marketing the new feature as a solution for the upcoming summer holidays like Memorial Day, Father’s Day and graduation season. The upgrade is the latest in a series of other digital functions added in the past month, such as Google Wallet payment on Domino’s Android app and a new iPad app that includes an animated pizza builder in 3D.

“The group ordering tool is perfect for holiday get-togethers, such as Memorial Day, graduation parties or large lunch meetings where customers don’t know how many or what pizzas to order,” Domino’s spokesman Chris Brandon said. “How many times have you had to do the math to figure out how many pizza pies to get? Domino’s tool solves that big ‘pizza problem’ and shows customers what our most popular topping options are as well.”

Domino’s now generates more than 45 percent of its sales in the United States from digital ordering. In Domino’s most recent first-quarter earnings call, chief executive Patrick Doyle noted that digital ordering has increased the chain’s average check over the long term, not necessarily just because of the tools’ ability to up-sell customers on full-price pizzas or side items, but also because those digital platforms drive order accuracy and customer satisfaction.

A 4.9-percent increase in Domino’s first-quarter same-store sales in the United States contributed to a 17.7-percent jump in net income for the chain’s March 23-ended period.

One of Domino’s two main rivals, Papa John’s Pizza, also recently disclosed in an earnings call that it derived more than 45 percent of domestic sales from digital ordering. Leaders of that brand predicted that Papa John’s would be the first major pizza chain in the United States to tally half of its sales from online and mobile ordering.

Ann Arbor, Mich.-based Domino’s operates 376 company-owned restaurants and franchises another 4,615 units in the United States, and it also franchises 5,997 locations in 70 international markets.

Contact Mark Brandau at [email protected].
Follow him on Twitter: @Mark_from_NRN