Chicago Town's "women-only" pizza brand Gorgeous has struggled to attract consumers since its debut five months ago, the company has revealed.
The range, launched in February, had achieved just under £600k in sales due to a "lack of consumer awareness", the Dr Oetker brand admitted. "The range could be doing much better, and we are finding it a challenge to get retailers on board," said Chicago Town marketing manager Paula Wyatt.
"While we can't compare Gorgeous to one of Chicago Town's bigger pizza brands - it was never expected to match their profits - we need to make consumers more aware of the range."
Gorgeous was initially available in two flavours - pepperoni & red onion and mozzarella, tomato & pesto - but only the first has been listed by retailers so far. "We have taken on board feedback telling us these flavours weren't quite right for the target market and are looking at a new variant," said Wyatt.
Targeting only one gender group was a risky strategy for brands at a time when consumers were being lured by own label, said Dragon Rouge brand consultant Kate Waddell. "The launch of Gorgeous was a kneejerk attempt to land grab from lighter pizza brands - but Chicago Town has to be careful not to undermine the 'full-on' perceptions of its eating experience."
Gorgeous pizzas are portion-controlled at 100g each and designed to be 'lighter' with thinner crusts, and were launched in response to Chicago Town research into 'what women want' in a pizza. With an rsp of £1.49 for a two-pack, the pizzas come in lipstick-smacked packaging.
The range, launched in February, had achieved just under £600k in sales due to a "lack of consumer awareness", the Dr Oetker brand admitted. "The range could be doing much better, and we are finding it a challenge to get retailers on board," said Chicago Town marketing manager Paula Wyatt.
"While we can't compare Gorgeous to one of Chicago Town's bigger pizza brands - it was never expected to match their profits - we need to make consumers more aware of the range."
Gorgeous was initially available in two flavours - pepperoni & red onion and mozzarella, tomato & pesto - but only the first has been listed by retailers so far. "We have taken on board feedback telling us these flavours weren't quite right for the target market and are looking at a new variant," said Wyatt.
Targeting only one gender group was a risky strategy for brands at a time when consumers were being lured by own label, said Dragon Rouge brand consultant Kate Waddell. "The launch of Gorgeous was a kneejerk attempt to land grab from lighter pizza brands - but Chicago Town has to be careful not to undermine the 'full-on' perceptions of its eating experience."
Gorgeous pizzas are portion-controlled at 100g each and designed to be 'lighter' with thinner crusts, and were launched in response to Chicago Town research into 'what women want' in a pizza. With an rsp of £1.49 for a two-pack, the pizzas come in lipstick-smacked packaging.
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