Americans consume an average of 350 slices of pizza per second, according to Pizzaexpo.com. And more are eating their pizza slices alone.

A recent survey by Kelton Research, a national polling firm, found that with today's busy schedules, three out of four Americans occasionally dine alone, with two-thirds saying they would prefer to eat dinner at home after a busy week, rather than go out to a fancy restaurant. This is good news for frozen pizza manufacturers who are capitalizing on this trend with single-portion pizzas that include the premium toppings expected from a full-size pizza.

Glenview, Ill.-based Kraft Foods, for example, offers DiGiorno and California Pizza Kitchen (CPK), which both produce For One pizzas: single-serve portions that can be heated and ready to eat in minutes.

“With new For One pizzas, we wanted to bring the great taste of DiGiorno and CPK pizzas to a quick, single-serve meal option,” says Brigette Wolf, brand manager, For One pizza, Kraft Foods. “Now consumers don't have to compromise on a quality meal when dining solo.”

Both CPK and DiGiorno also are meeting consumers' preference for bold and gourmet toppings. CPK offers BBQ Recipe Chicken and Sicilian Recipe, among others. In addition to traditional flavors, DiGiorno offers For One with a garlic bread crust in pepperoni, supreme and spinach and tomato varieties; and in thin crust with pepperoni, supreme and chicken/vegetable options.

Gina Bolger, director of marketing, Home Run Inn, Woodridge, Ill., agrees gourmet, premium flavors are in demand. Home Run Inn is meeting this trend by releasing its new Signature line this month. The Signature line features premium gourmet toppings, such as plum tomatoes, fire-roasted vegetables and a meat lovers option that includes sausage, pepperoni and bacon.

Other trends influencing pizza include consumer demand for all-natural products with no preservatives and no trans fats, Bolger notes. “Consumers are paying more attention to the ingredients in their pizzas and are continuing to make health-conscious choices,” she adds. Consumers also are concerned with high quality ingredients, pizzas with fewer calories and economical prices.

Home Run Inn's Ultra Thin line, which debuted last month, offers a lighter, thinner crust, and provides the same quality at a more economical price, Bolger notes.

Consumers definitely have more options today. In addition to selecting bold or traditional toppings, consumers can choose their ideal crust-type from extra thin and crispy to traditional to thick artisan varieties, whether they're buying a single-serve pizza or a family size.

Top 10 frozen pizza brands

Brands	Dollar sales	Dollar sales % change	Dollar share	Unit sales	Unit sales % change	Unit share
DI GIORNO	$461,584,000	2.5	16.4	$90,826,500	0.8	9.3
RED BARON	281,194,700	-9.8	10.0	78,455,930	-18.5	8.0
TOMBSTONE	237,965,900	0.7	8.5	70,355,660	-4.9	7.2
PRIVATE LABEL	218,169,000	14.6	7.8	106,728,200	7.9	10.9
FRESCHETTA	158,909,400	-18.5	5.7	30,842,070	-25.0	3.1
CALIFORNIA PIZZA KITCHEN	150,850,400	17.0	5.4	27,017,060	16.4	2.8
TOTINO'S PARTY PIZZA	146,092,700	-1.8	5.2	125,477,300	-4.4	12.8
TONY'S	124,673,100	1.4	4.4	52,317,890	2.8	5.3
STOUFFER'S	90,247,300	-1.9	3.2	32,413,470	-2.4	3.3
JACK'S ORIGINAL	89,535,460	1.0	3.2	33,962,990	-2.1	3.5
Source: Information Resources Inc. statistics for the 52-week period ended Sept., 7, 2008.

Fresh Bakery Products	52 Weeks Ended Aug. 10 Dollar Sales	% Change Prior Year	52 Weeks Ended Aug. 10 Unit Sales	% Change Prior Year
Bread	$6,517,619,000	4.7	3,071,848,300	-4.4
Crackers	3,608,526,000	3.3	1,481,040,000	-0.9
Cookies	3,581,644,700	-11.9	1,534,608,320	-15.1
Rolls/Buns/Croissants	2,190,445,000	6.9	1,181,303,000	-2.3
Cupcakes/Brownies	924,974,700	0.0	512,658,400	-4.9
Pastry/Danish/Coffeecake	647,926,400	-0.4	283,473,800	-1.8
Donuts	626,678,300	-4.3	251,384,500	-7.4
English Muffins	534,700,600	7.6	220,407,100	1.9
Bagels/Bialys	520,252,500	6.1	178,443,200	0.0
Muffins	306,455,400	10.2	102,164,100	2.3
Pies (excl Snack Pies)	203,642,600	-6.4	44,896,690	-12.2
Cakes (excl snack/coffee)	50,653,030	-0.7	132,678,800	-3.6
Frozen Bakery Products
Bread/Biscuits/Pastry Dough	$533,223,500	4.8	209,501,300	1.7
Pies	345,042,900	-1.5	85,930,940	-4.8
Sweetgoods (excl cheesecake)	210,299,100	3.9	57,788,420	4.8
Bread/Rolls/Pastry Dough	117,535,600	3.4	40,334,610	-1.4
Pies/Pastry Shells	114,721,000	0.3	50,324,020	-5.7
Cheesecakes	72,292,980	-2.1	14,029,160	-5.3
Bagels	55,298,960	16.5	35,833,460	-1.1
Muffins	18,548,100	154.2	5,878,371	215.7
Cookie Dough	5,413,434	96.3	1,419,822	143.9
Cookies	72,378	-16.8	23,167	-16.3
Refrigerated Bakery Products
Cookie/Brownie Dough	$386,942,500	-4.5	137,077,400	-6.1
Biscuit Dough	356,484,400	-1.7	290,391,700	-3.5
Pastry/Dumpling Dough	306,267,700	4.9	134,108,100	2.5
Bread/Rolls/Bun Dough	259,118,600	2.1	128,798,800	-1.0
Cakes (excl Snack/Coffee)	70,847,840	-2.6	9,061,341	-5.0
Bagels/Bialys	55,861,780	3.7	39,072,860	-4.8
English Muffins	35,914,010	5.9	18,795,340	2.4
Pies (excl Snack Pies)	22,308,570	-18.9	4,204,797	-21.3
Snack Cakes/Donuts	8,463,746	12.5	1,966,648	9.8
Pastry/Danish/Coffeecakes	6,647,637	24.4	1,755,994	7.6
Bread	4,082,871	0.0	1,457,139	-3.7
Dinner/ Rolls/Croissants	1,406,231	12.3	679,525	10.6
Muffins	60,413	16.3	13,919	31.3

Statistics were supplied by Information Resources Inc., a Chicago-based firm. Its scanner data covers more than 11,300 supermarkets and represents 90 percent of all supermarket volumes. ADG Sept. 12, 2008