Die chinesische Pizza-Branche beschleunigt ihre Aufwertung, und Pizza Hut stärkt kontinuierlich seine Position als "Pizza-Experte".
Recently, the 36Kr Research Institute under the business media 36Kr officially released the "2025 China Pizza Industry Research and Consumption Trend Report". The report shows that the scale of the Chinese pizza market reached 48 billion yuan in 2024 and is expected to exceed 77.1 billion yuan by 2027, with an average annual compound growth rate of up to 15.5% from 2022 to 2027. It is worth mentioning that Pizza Hut, as a typical research case in the Chinese pizza industry, was highlighted in this third - party research report.
The report shows that Chinese consumers' demand for pizza is shifting from "novelty tasting" to "emphasizing both quality and health". Always consumer - centered, Pizza Hut also adapted to this trend and launched the new 10 - inch handmade thin - crust pizza in August 2025. It uses a 24 - hour slow - fermentation process, with a light, crispy and tough crust and more generous amount of cheese. It not only meets the young people's expectations for a healthy diet but also caters to their pursuit of rich toppings.
Facing the core consumer group represented by the post - 90s and post - 00s, mostly concentrated in first - to third - tier cities, the Chinese pizza market also shows a highly centralized trend. The process of industry chainization is accelerating, and the potential of the sinking market is significant. The innovation in the pizza industry is improving efficiency through omnichannel integration and intelligent supply chain.
The report shows that for the pizza industry, Pizza Hut China's 35 - year innovation and development have provided an innovative and growth model that the industry can learn from.
1. From Exploration to Leadership: Pizza Hut Leads the Chinese Pizza Industry for 35 Years
The "2025 China Pizza Industry Research and Consumption Trend Report" released by the 36Kr Research Institute points out that consumers' demand for pizza has been upgraded to a comprehensive experience of "taste + senses + emotions".
Specifically, this upgrade is reflected in multiple aspects such as toppings, ingredients, and flavors. First, up to 43.9% of consumers hope to have the option of freely matching ingredients in a pizza and experience a progressive taste; 36% of consumers regard the "rare attributes" of ingredients as an important standard for measuring pizza; and 31.5% of consumers pursue "novel flavors that break the boundaries of imagination" and have subversive expectations for traditional pizza flavors.
Facing this competitive situation, Pizza Hut responds to the needs of contemporary consumers through full - value - chain innovation. From consumer - centered product iteration, to the digital - enabled channel system, and then to supply - chain innovation that balances efficiency and responsibility, Pizza Hut has built a brand - value chain covering "product - channel - supply chain".
First of all, as a pizza expert, Pizza Hut always iterates its products with consumers as the benchmark for innovation. In 1990, Pizza Hut's first store in Beijing's Dongzhimen opened. The Super Supreme Pizza became the "first pizza in life" for many people at that time. Paired with Borscht and garlic bread, it constituted the early consumers' memory of "Western cuisine".
From 2000 to 2010, Pizza Hut started the stage of local exploration. With the accelerated transformation of its happy restaurants, Pizza Hut's menu was quickly updated, launching series such as "Colorful Exotic Journey", "Global Exploration", and "Festival Specials", integrating special ingredients like German sausage and Norwegian red trout, as well as cultural elements such as the Spring Festival reunion into pizzas. The classic innovation represented by the Beijing Roast Duck Pizza precisely met the tastes of Chinese local consumers.
During the stage of diversified innovation after 2010, Pizza Hut put forward the new brand proposition of "New Pizza Hut, Always New Discoveries" in 2018 and launched the "snow - falling pizza". Since then, it has continuously broken through in product innovation: in 2021, it launched a subversive hand - tossed crust; in 2022, it introduced various pizza crust edges; in 2023, it upgraded the process of the classic pan pizza, constantly showing consumers the diversity of pizza. As the Western - cuisine service provider for famous international sports events, Pizza Hut also launched the Longjing Shrimp Pizza integrating Chinese ingredients during this period, extending innovation to the field of combining Chinese and Western flavors.
Meanwhile, during the stage of youth - oriented and experiential innovation after 2020, Pizza Hut actively embraced the trend of solo dining: it launched new products such as the MY BOX self - enjoyment small box and the "Pizza Hut Pizza Burger". Now, in 2025, on the occasion of its 35th anniversary in China, Pizza Hut has once again captured the trend of quality and personalization and launched the new 10 - inch handmade thin - crust pizza, using the 24 - hour slow - fermentation process and more generous cheese to meet the young people's pursuit of "rich toppings".
Secondly, it is to create the "efficiency engine" of chain catering through omnichannel integration and intelligent drive. The "2025 China Pizza Industry Research and Consumption Trend Report" shows that in the current situation of diverse consumer demands and segmented scenarios, the pizza industry is accelerating the integration of online and offline channels, building an omnichannel sales network with multiple scenarios and touchpoints. This breaks the traditional time - and - space limitations, achieves full - domain coverage of users' life trajectories, and then reshapes the consumption experience and growth model.
Offline, Pizza Hut has built a flexible offline store system. The three main store types, including standard stores, WOW store models, and PIZZERIA store models, help Pizza Hut meet the differentiated consumption trends of both cost - effectiveness and high - quality, thus better meeting the needs of Chinese consumers.
Pizza Hut is also promoting the construction of digital capabilities. As of 2023, all stores use an integrated artificial - intelligence system. Using AI technology, it manages stores in terms of safety, efficiency, and quality, with functions including optimizing the order production rhythm, AI quality inspection, and intelligent equipment management. With this system, Pizza Hut can not only monitor food - safety risks, ensure that customers get high - quality products, and improve operational efficiency but also accurately estimate the raw - material preparation of restaurants and reduce food waste.
Finally, it is to drive the win - win situation of Chinese agriculture through the localization innovation of the supply chain. The "2025 China Pizza Industry Research and Consumption Trend Report" points out that traditional supply - chain shortcomings such as high loss rate, low turnover rate, and weak traceability have become bottlenecks in the industry. In response, Pizza Hut actively promotes full - chain traceability "from farm to table". For example, in the steak supply chain, Pizza Hut gives each piece of beef an "ID card". From source selection, low - temperature and high - humidity thawing, tendon removal and standardized marinating, to cold - chain transportation relying on IoT temperature control directly to stores across the country, the whole process is traceable and strictly temperature - controlled. The standardized process not only ensures the stability of taste and product quality but also gives consumers more confidence in safety and quality.
From continuous product innovation to steady store expansion, from the exploration of diversified store types to the localization and digital management of the supply chain, Pizza Hut has always kept pace with the times and consumers. On its 35th anniversary, it is no longer just "bringing pizza to China", but also constantly consolidating its position as a "pizza expert" through full - value - chain reshaping.
2. Pizza Hut's 35 Years in China: From Pizza Expert to Lifestyle Leader
The development history of the Chinese pizza industry is also the growth history of Pizza Hut in China for 35 years. From the opening of the first store in Dongzhimen in 1990 to becoming a "pizza expert", Pizza Hut has not only promoted the awareness of pizza as a category in the Chinese market but also witnessed the multi - generational changes in Chinese consumer society.
With the boundless growth of scenarios, pizza has long broken through the boundaries of gatherings and family dinners and become a daily choice to meet different consumption mentalities. The "2025 China Pizza Industry Research and Consumption Trend Report" by 36Kr shows that "solo dining" is becoming a new growth point in pizza consumption. 47% of consumers are particularly looking forward to small - sized/solo - dining pizza items. The post - 80s (57.3%) and post - 00s (52.4%) have significantly higher expectations for solo - dining pizza than other generations.
From the "main scenario of family dinners" to the "trendy space for young socializing", pizza is also being given more diverse social attributes. Trendy cultural events such as the Shanghai Giant C Burger Festival and the Z - Era Galaxy Left Bank Music Festival directly engage with the cultural scenes that young people are keen on.
In recent years, Pizza Hut has continuously deepened its approach to young people. It has successively cooperated with dozens of top domestic and international IPs such as Genshin Impact, Dungeon & Fighter, EVA, and Numinous Wilds, launching co - branded limited - edition peripherals and items, and deeply integrating anime - style trendy symbols into stores and food. It has created a trendy and casual dining space that young people pursue. These innovative practices make pizza not only a meal but also a cultural carrier that carries emotions, shows personality, and shares joy.
Over the past 35 years, Pizza Hut, the "pizza expert", has always led the industry as an innovator - from creating the era memory carried by a pizza, to carefully polishing the taste experience of several generations, and then to gradually growing into a "lifestyle leader" through product iteration, scenario expansion, and youth - oriented practices. Finally, it has made pizza break through the "meal" attribute and become a consumption symbol in contemporary social and daily life.