NEW YORK – In celebration of its 55th
anniversary, Pizza Hut launched a 10-day promotion yesterday, selling a large,
one-topping pizza for $5.55, USA Today reports.
The offer applies to carryout orders and extends to June 15.
All 6,300 Pizza Hut locations in the United States will offer the promotion. A
large, one-topping pizza typically costs about $11.
The promotion comes at a time when rival Little Caesars has
been offering a $5 Hot n’ Ready pizza at a time when pizza sales tend to slow.
"We believe it's the most aggressive offer of the year
in the pizza industry," said Doug Terfehr, a Pizza Hut spokesman.
"It's the new age of the flash deal."
One PR professional said the offer is about trying to
stimulate sales for a company whose business has been mostly flat this year. "For
Pizza Hut, it's a value play disguised as a company milestone," said Derek
Farley, president of DFPR. "Consumers could care less about the
anniversary, but they will act on the promotion because of the price."
The $5-ish price-point is key, as it taps into the popular
$5 Footlong (Subway) audience as well as offers by its pizza chain rivals
(Little Caesars, Cici’s Pizza Buffets).
"If the consumer needs something that gives them
permission to experiment with a brand, $5 is the magic number," Farley
said. "It is consistently the threshold that reinforces the idea of a
deal."
Pizza Hut hopes consumers also purchase a few
sides and beverages. "That's when $5 becomes $12, and the company wins.”