According to Wall Street Journal, the online ordering market has been cornered by the bigger chains which leaves independent pizzerias in the dark.
"Big chains have invested in sophisticated Web-based systems that let customers order and pay for deliveries quickly without having to call," WSJ reported. "That's giving them a new edge in the battle for an ever-bigger slice of the industry pie over smaller chains and independent pizza shops that lack the capital or technological know-how to compete on the Web. Domino's Pizza Inc.,Papa John's International Inc.and Yum Brands Inc.'s Pizza Hut all now derive 40% or more of their sales from digital orders, the companies say. For Geraci's Restaurant in University Heights, Ohio, the number is zero. Frannie Geraci, co-owner of Geraci's, says her sales have declined 20% in the past two years as chain pizza shops and other franchises have moved into the neighborhood. She estimates she could boost sales by 30% if she offered delivery and online ordering."