Pizza Hut has unveiled its new app for the Windows 8 platform.

The new Pizza Hut Windows 8 app builds on key features such as customisable pizza options, one-touch favourites and a streamlined ordering process.

In a Q&A at Microsoft’s annual TechEd conference, Pizza Hut marketing director Brad Richter said due to the shift in consumers to the digital platform it was an opportunity for Pizza Hut couldn’t miss.

“The Pizza industry has changed rapidly over the last five years, as more and more consumers engage with digital platforms to order their pizzas,” he said

“No longer is it acceptable to only offer a desktop ordering website, but for future business success it is critical to keep up to date with the latest technology and trends and offer consumers a broad array of platforms in which to interact with your brand, inclusive of mobile websites and phone/tablet applications.

“What we recognise is, just like pizza, technology is personal to everybody, so we want to make sure that we give everybody the opportunity to be a Pizza Hut customer, no matter what device they have, thus the creation of the Windows 8 application.”

The Windows 8 app will complement the pizza chain’s existing iPhone app that also lets customers order and pay for their pizza via their smartphone.

“We’re seeing that this industry is the leading mobile search category for Google. For searches such as pizza, over 50 per cent of them are coming from mobile and tablets, so we recognise this is a big prize to win,” Richter said.

“We also recognise that a lot of our customers are now also native to the landscape. People aren’t investing in desktops any more, they’re moving to the tablets and smart phones so it’s really making sure we’re following the customer. We’re seeing that mobile devices are the fastest growing digital sector, so they’re not necessarily the biggest ordering channel yet, but they’re the fastest growing channel.

“When you look at the app type of experience, your customer conversion rate is higher than conversion elsewhere. The reason is that it’s a loyal customer, someone who wants to interact with the brand.”