Pizza Express targets corporate sector with incentive scheme

The launch of the new division – Pizza Express for Business – will allow businesses to use gift cards or electronic vouchers for use in the pizza restaurants as sales bonuses, Christmas gifts or employee rewards. The pizza chain also suggests that the scheme can be used as a customer loyalty programme.

Harriet Rhys Williams, retail and new business director for Pizza Express said the launch was a significant move for the company.

“We’re offering everything that businesses need to create an exciting, effective and compelling reward programme. As well as over 400 award winning restaurants across the UK, we have brought together a dedicated team who will deliver a range of support services from campaign planning right through to execution and evaluation," she said.

£1m year one sales​​

Through the scheme companies can either purchase vouchers with specific denominations, pre-loaded gift cards or eGifts which can be sent by email or text message. Businesses will also be able to purchase whole one-off rewards such as a three course meal for an individual or a team.

With 81 per cent of Pizza Express customers in the ABC1 demographic the chain is confident of a high take-up of the scheme.

"This is a strategically important move for Pizza Express and we expect to break through the £1m sales barrier within the first year,” Rhys Williams added.

Re-brand​​

In September 2011 Gondola Holdings announced the biggest re-brand for the chain​ since the company was started by Peter Boizot in 1965.

The Pizza Express for Business corporate gift cards feature the stripes that inspired the re-brand which pays homage to the shirts their ‘pizzaiolos’ wear.