Domino’s Pizza Group reported third-quarter system sales growth of 3.5% for the period to 30 September 2026, with like-for-like sales up 2.3%. The listed pizza group, which works with franchisee partners, one of the largest fast food franchises in the UK, kept its full-year expectations unchanged and pointed to growth in both August and September after a World Cup lift at the start of the quarter.
In a trading statement published on 21 October 2026, the group said total orders rose 2.6% in the quarter, with like-for-like orders up 1.4%. Over the year to date, like-for-like sales are up 4.0% and like-for-like orders up 1.5%. The statement covers the quarter to 30 September and carries the headline “continued positive trading momentum, maintain full year expectations”.
What the trading statement reports
System sales cover the sales made across the whole network, whether a shop is run by the group or by a franchisee partner, so the 3.5% figure describes the network rather than the group’s own turnover. The statement gives percentages only and does not publish a sterling figure for the quarter.
Domino’s attributes the quarter to the World Cup at the start of the period, followed by continued growth in August and September. Growth came from both pizza and Chick ‘n’ Dip, helped by sales of its Italianos pizza range. The group describes Chick ‘n’ Dip as performing in line with management’s expectations.
The quarterly like-for-like pattern is uneven. Sales rose 4.5% in the first quarter and 5.2% in the second, which gave 4.9% for the first half. The third quarter, at 2.3%, is the slowest of the three. Orders followed a different path: 0.9% in the first quarter, 2.2% in the second and 1.4% in the third.
Why the like-for-like figures matter
Like-for-like sales strip out the effect of sites opened or closed, so they show how established shops are trading. For a network that relies on franchisee partners, they are the measure that most directly reflects what an existing operator sees at the till. The statement does not give store openings or net openings for the quarter, so the size of the estate is not updated here.
Reading the two columns
Like-for-like sales and like-for-like orders measure different things. Sales include the effect of price and basket size, while orders count transactions. In the third quarter, sales grew 2.3% and orders grew 1.4%.
The statement makes one direct reference to the franchise side of the business. In the chief executive’s comment, Nicola Frampton refers to “quality franchisee partners”. No separate franchisee figures, such as profitability or sales per site, are published in the announcement.
Costs fixed and expectations unchanged
Domino’s says all major cost categories are fixed for FY26 and into FY27, though supply terms for franchisees are set by the franchise agreement rather than by the group’s own cost base. The board is confident of meeting market expectations for the full year, and it expects profit growth in FY27 and beyond. The group did not give a new numerical forecast in the statement.
The next scheduled update was not stated in the announcement. Investors and operators will be looking at whether the like-for-like trend settles near the third-quarter level or returns towards the first-half pace, a question the group’s year-end figures will start to answer.
