Domino's hiring extra staff as people order lockdown pizzas

Domino’s Pizza (DOM.L) is recruiting extra staff for contact-free home deliveries, as the UK-wide coronavirus lockdown leads to more demand for takeaway pizza.

Domino’s chief executive David Wild said in a statement on Friday he was “looking to recruit additional store colleagues and delivery drivers” in response to the coronavirus lockdown.

It came as Domino’s reported a spike in takeaways over the last week, after the public were told on Monday to stay at home as much as possible.

“Over the past week, UK trading has accelerated, with the growth in delivery more than offsetting the lack of collection sales,” Domino’s said in an investor update.

Domino’s banned pizza collections, which account for around 20% of sales, at the start of this week following government guidance on stopping the spread of Covid-19.

Domino’s has also introduced “contact-free” delivery and “strengthened our already high hygiene standards,” Wild said.

“We've been working closely with the wider industry and government, and are keen to do all we can to support our customers and communities by safely delivering hot food to help people stay at home during this difficult time,” he said.

Despite the recent pickup in business, Domino’s said the uncertainty surrounding the coronavirus pandemic meant it couldn’t give investors any financial guidance for 2020. The company also axed its dividend.

Russ Mould, investment director at stockbroker AJ Bell, said: “A recent spike in delivery demand has more than offset the lack of collection sales, but one has to wonder how long this will last.

“In time supermarket shelves will be better stocked and households will be able to start filling their fridges and cupboards, implying that luxuries like a £20 takeaway pizza might become less frequent.”

Wild said: “I'd like to say a big thank you to all our colleagues and franchisee partners who are working incredibly hard to keep Domino's delivering.

“Domino's is at its heart a delivered food business, and we're working around the clock to keep our supply chain operational, our back-office colleagues working from home, and our stores making great tasting pizzas for our customers."