Dive Brief:
- Arko Corp., parent company of c-store retailer GPM Investments, has added $4.99 frozen pizzas to 1,000 of its stores and will add a hot to-go option at select locations on Feb. 7, according to a Wednesday press release.
- The roughly 12-inch pizzas were developed in conjunction with Alive and Kickin’ Crust. Arko has also partnered with PepsiCo on the initiative to offer combination deals that include accompanying products like drinks, an Arko spokesperson confirmed via email.
- The pizzas, which will be available in cheese and pepperoni varieties, are another way GPM is looking to drive membership sign ups. Each pie is $4.99 for fas Rewards loyalty members and $7.99 for nonmembers.
Dive Insight:
The new pizza options follow Arko’s release at more than 300 stores of its fresh chicken sandwich, which also costs notably less for fas Rewards members than for nonmembers.
Arko said it wants to increase “inflation-busting” offerings for loyalty members, even as customers remain highly price conscious.
The 23.5-ounce pizza features a self-rising crust and Wisconsin cheese. With the Pepsi combo deals, Arko is aiming to offer a full family meal for under $10.
“Having a value pizza offering is table stakes for convenience store operators, and we have raised the ante with the exceptional quality resulting from a thorough research and development process executed in concert with a premier pizza innovation team,” said Arie Kotler, chairman, president and CEO of Arko.
Foodservice has become a priority for Arko, and is now one of the company’s three targeted areas for growth. In October, it brought in an experienced industry veteran, Richard Guidry, to fill the new role of senior vice president of food service. Guidry joined Arko from Casey’s General Stores, where he led menu innovation as brand director of food service.
By tying lower prices on these items to loyalty membership, Arko is also leaning into another of its targeted growth areas. After updating fas Rewards in March, the company has grown its loyalty membership to more than 1.85 million as of November.
Richmond, Virginia-based Arko has more than 1,500 c-stores in 33 states under a variety of brands in its GPM Investments arm, including E-Z Mart, Breadbox, ExpressShop and Pride.
