Though there may not be a meal that screams "Americana" quite like a hamburger with fries, pizza is one of the few foods that can give the classic burger a run for its money. More than 3 billion pizzas are purchased annually in the U.S. (not counting frozen pizzas), equating to about 350 slices sold per second.
It's a big-dollar industry that's highly competitive -- but the rewards for pizza companies that can separate from the pack can be enormous.
Image source: Getty Images.
However, competitive advantages aren't always tangible and won't necessarily show up on a company's income statement or balance sheet. It's the intangibles, such as customer loyalty and engagement, that can oftentimes be a differentiating factor.
For more than a quarter century, research consultancy firm Brand Keys has been analyzing hundreds (if not thousands) of companies across dozens of categories using proprietary customer loyalty and engagement metrics. Brands that meet or exceed the ideals of its Customer Loyalty Engagement Index (CLEI) would be expected to have the highest levels of customer loyalty and engagement over the next 12 to 18 months.
Based on Brand Keys' 2026 CLEI, there's a clear pizza brand consumers are most loyal to: Domino's Pizza (DPZ +0.67%).
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Key Data Points
Any way you slice it, Domino's dominates the pizza landscape
Domino's finding its way to the top of Brand Keys' annual CLEI is about as common as finding pepperoni on a pizza. This marks the 22nd consecutive year it's firmly planted itself as No. 1 in the pizza category.
Domino's Pizza's more than two-decade run atop the pedestal, and the more than 6,400% total return for its shares, including dividends, since its initial public offering in July 2004, boils down to several factors.
To begin with, transparency has been paramount to Domino's success. In the late 2000s, management embarked on a then-risky marketing campaign that highlighted its product mistakes and vowed to improve upon them. For 17 years, Domino's marketing transparency has kept consumers connected to the brand.
The company is also leaning into its loyalty rewards program -- part of its new "Hungry for MORE" five-year growth plan -- as a core catalyst. Offering points as perks that can lead to discounts or free items, and focusing on its value proposition, such as Mix & Match, are ways that Hungry for MORE is enhancing consumer loyalty to the brand.
Image source: Getty Images.
But don't overlook innovation, which is critical to Domino's ongoing success. In addition to product innovation and limited-time specials, the company is leaning into artificial intelligence to increase production and improve supply chain efficiency. These predominantly behind-the-scenes adjustments are helping keep costs down (thereby enhancing the value proposition) and speeding up the pizza-making process.
Understandably, being the kingpin of Brand Keys' CLEI doesn't mean Domino's Pizza is free of headwinds. The food industry is competitive, and inflation is always a concern. But the intangibles, such as building consumers' trust over several decades, can't be ignored.
Brand Keys' analysis builds on what Domino's Pizza's operating results have shown for years: it's America's favorite pizza brand.
