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Rachel Johnson 6pm - 9pm
1 May 2024, 11:44
The company said its sales dipped 0.4% to £385.1 million in the first three months of the year, compared with the same period last year.
Domino’s Pizza has seen a surge in customers using its app as the food delivery chain eyes more store openings in 2024, despite sales slowing over the start of the year.
The company said its sales dipped 0.4% to £385.1 million in the first three months of the year, compared with the same period last year.
The total number of orders slipped by 1.8% to 17.7 million.
This reflected a slow January which it previously said was a typically quieter month for the group, amid a general trend of consumers tightening their belts after the busy Christmas period.
Sales picked up in February and March despite still facing an “uncertain market”.
The number of customers using the Domino’s app soared by 37% compared with the previous year, the company said.
The proportion of orders made through the app was more then 11 percentage points higher than the previous year.
Meanwhile, the pizza chain said it was looking forward to events this year including the men’s Euro football tournament, which can be an opportunity for takeaway firms to cash in on viewers tuning in at home.
It recently launched new offers including a £4 lunch offer, and a new Cadbury Creme Egg cookie, which it said was its biggest dessert launch for nearly a decade.
It is also trialling a new loyalty scheme for regular customers.
Domino’s is planning to open more than 70 new stores this year as it continues to eye expansion after opening about 60 shops last year.
The company previously said it was targeting 1,600 stores in the UK and Ireland by 2028, and 2,000 by 2033.
Andrew Rennie, Domino’s chief executive, said: “I’m excited by the momentum we have in the business.
“We have a fantastic pipeline of initiatives across our UK & Ireland business driven by real energy from our colleagues and our franchisees.
“We launched our new £4 lunch offer in April, giving our customers an incredible value lunch option, and we’re encouraged by the early reaction.”