UK's Domino's sales rise on demand for fried chicken, Italian style pizza

Oct 21 (Reuters) - Britain's Domino's Pizza Group DOM.L reported a 2.3% rise in third-quarter like-for-like sales on Wednesday, driven by demand for its Italianos pizza range and Chick 'N' Dip fried chicken products that have boosted order values.

• The Soccer World Cup at the start of the quarter helped sales, momentum from which continued into August and September

• Total system sales, a measure of sales across all franchised and corporate outlets, rose 3.5% in the three months to September 30

• Year-to-date like-for-like sales growth was 4% at the pizza chain, ahead of expectations of 3.5% by Peel Hunt analysts

• The fast food industry has been leaning on value deals, new menu items and loyalty perks to drive footfall

• Domino's rolled out Chick 'N' Dip last year to cash in on the increasing popularity of fried chicken and as the industry grapples with "peak pizza"

• Domino's said major costs are fixed for fiscal 2026 and into fiscal 2027, giving it confidence in delivering earnings growth in fiscal 2027 and beyond

• The company, which franchises more than 1,400 pizza stores across the UK and Ireland, maintained its full-year expectations