Dr Oetker has issued a tongue-in-cheek ‘a-pollo-gy’ as it reintroduces its Ristorante Pollo pizza, following strong consumer demand after the SKU was delisted.The relaunch follows sustained shopper calls for the product’s return to supermarket freezers, underlining the strength of loyalty to established SKUs within the frozen pizza category.
Amy Beresford at Dr. Oetker said: “Following the delisting of Ristorante Pollo, we’ve seen first-hand just how strongly shoppers react when their favourite products suddenly disappear – from frustration to genuine disappointment – and no brand wants fans to feel like they’ve been ghosted.
“That’s why we’re offering a sincere ‘a-pollo-gy’ to all the Ristorante Pollo lovers who wrote, commented and asked for its return. We now know we should never have taken it away and we want to put things right.
“I’m very happy to say that Ristorante Pollo is officially back, and this time it’s here to stay.”
The relaunch is being supported by a consumer-facing campaign including a social film fronted by former Love Island star Chloe Burrows, who visited the brand’s HQ as part of a light-hearted ‘investigation’ into the product’s disappearance.
Chloe Burrows said: “The people needed to know – is Ristorante Pollo coming back? Why the ghosting? Is the chicken being shy?
“But now the mystery is solved. The pizza is back in the frozen aisle – and the nightmare of having to settle for ‘other’ pizzas is finally over.”
New research commissioned by Dr. Oetker as part of the campaign highlights the wider impact of so-called “grocery ghosting”, with shoppers reporting strong emotional and behavioural responses when products are removed without notice.
More than half (52%) of shoppers say they would feel sad, angry or less loyal to a retailer or brand if a favourite product was discontinued without warning, while 13% say they would feel “betrayed”.
The findings also point to potential commercial risk: nearly a third (32%) of shoppers say they would switch supermarkets if a key product was no longer available.
