Growth demonstrates channel’s rapidly expanding foodservice footprint.

Lots of pizza dough went through the doors of convenience stores and lots of pizza servings went out the doors.

Cases of pizza crust and dough shipped to convenience stores from broadline foodservice distributors increased by 27% and servings of pizza ordered by convenience store customers increased by over 20% in the year ending February 2015 compared to year ago, reports The NPD Group, a global information company.

Total dollars of pizza crust and dough cases shipped from broadline distributors to convenience stores increased by over 30%, finds NPD’s SupplyTrack, a monthly tracking service that tracks every product shipped from major broadline distributors to their foodservice operators.

Complementing the increase in pizza crust and dough case shipments and dollars was a 4% increase of pizza box case shipments to convenience stores in the year ending February compared to year ago.

The popularity of the pizza category at convenience stores is further evidence of the channel’s increasing focus on foodservice and its competitive threat to traditional quick-service restaurants. The double-digit growth in pizza servings at convenience stores contrasts to flat servings at quick service pizza restaurants and a 1% increase at traditional quick-service restaurants, finds NPD’s foodservice market research.

Convenience stores are also competing with traditional quick-service restaurants in terms of visits. Foodservice visits at convenience stores increased by 2% compared to a 1% gain at traditional quick service restaurants for the year ending February 2015 compared to year ago. Foodservice at convenience stores is now the top category for in-store gross profit dollars and is No. 2 for sales, according NPD’s Growing in a Fragmented Market report.

“Convenience stores, particularly food forward convenience stores, are increasing their foodservice footprint and rapidly gaining share from traditional quick service operators,” said Annie Roberts, vice president, SupplyTrack. “Foodservice manufacturers and distributors should understand the dynamics that are currently at play between retail and traditional quick service restaurants in order to fully serve the needs of the changing foodservice marketplace.”