Sneaking treats into the movie theater

[luvsJack]

If your local theater is cheating consumers - even if you just suspect they are - you NEED to notify your state's consumer affairs division or attorney general... or at the very least, a local consumer reporter.

A 300% mark-up is NOT in ANY way indicative of a 300% profit. Most of that mark-up is applied to the theater's operating expenses. Sure, a little bit is profit - but a business that's losing money can't stay in business. Surely nobody here begrudges a business its income?[/QUOTE]

I know full well how business works. My parents were business owners my whole life. Of course the amount of mark-up does not mean the amount of profit the company makes. But it still does not mean they have to have a 300% mark up in order to make a profit. They should be, at least, breaking even on the cost of showing the movie with the money taken in on tickets. That would make almost all (minus cost of the products) of the concessions profit.

I find it hard to believe that when HP5 was showing and 4 theaters stayed 100% full from midnight on Thursday through the following week that they were not making a profit in there somewhere.

The thing is when I go to the movies, I will spend $x for tickets and $x for drinks. Period. If I do take in candy and/or chips, I will spend $x on drinks and if I don't I will spend the exact same amount. So, in reality I am not cheating anyone out of anything. They are getting the same amount of money either way.

The cinema I am talking about is probably not cheating in the sense of being illegal. But you have to be extremely careful in ordering because of the way things are priced and combos are put together, etc. Sometimes they have a "special price" on candy and when you order it, its not the same thing they normally have or they are magically out of the kind on sale. They are the only game in town, so are able to pretty much charge what they want.

 

[tar heel]

The AMC in Concord Mills lets you bring in anything, from Starbucks to a meal from the Chili's in the mall! I have never seen anyone stopped and I was just there last week for The Blind Side.

Yeah, that's the theatre I was talking about. Starbucks would lose a lot of business if it couldn't be brought into the theatre. When my son worked at that AMC, it was no alcohol or anything so smelly it would offend other audience members. Otherwise, they didn't care.

 

[luvsJack]

I was interested to know if I was really causing our theater to lose money so I googled "how do theaters make money".

The ticket money for the movie--70-80% goes back to the production company during the first couple of weeks. By the 5th week of the movie-35%.

Concessions-big money cow, that $4 box of popcorn? Costs them .90 to make

The biggest money maker? Advertisements.

 

[Lewisc]

This is the budget board. You can rent a DVD (sometimes even a Blu-Ray) from Redbox for $1. Add a few dollars for popcorn and soda. Movie theatres charge $8-$12 for tickets before you pay for any food or drink.

You may find it hard to believe but the movie distributor charges up to 90% of the ticket price for very popular movies. You may think a movie theater breaks even with the ticket revenue but it they don't.

I"m sure the theater was making a profit when HP5 was showing but that profit came from concession sales and not from ticket sales.

I know full well how business works. My parents were business owners my whole life. Of course the amount of mark-up does not mean the amount of profit the company makes. But it still does not mean they have to have a 300% mark up in order to make a profit. They should be, at least, breaking even on the cost of showing the movie with the money taken in on tickets. That would make almost all (minus cost of the products) of the concessions profit.

I find it hard to believe that when HP5 was showing and 4 theaters stayed 100% full from midnight on Thursday through the following week that they were not making a profit in there somewhere.

 

[JoiseyMom]

That's me too! The popcorn is a MUST! If I have a nice dinner out first, and we're stuffed... I'd prefer not to see a movie for no other reason than I don't have room for popcorn and would rather see it another night when I do have room! No popcorn = no movie in my book!!

ITA!! LOL...my DH really hates going to movie theaters..so we hardly ever go. But since I LOVE movie popcorn, he bought me a real popcorn popper.

http://comfortfirst.com/p-35102-nos...lgic-movie-theater-style-popcorn-machine.aspx I just have the top part!! YUMMY!!

I usually take the kids to the movies and I always have a bottle of water with me, and I sometimes bring boxed candy with us. But we always buy popcorn and soda (the refill special) and we all share.

I am still going to bring my water with me, and if the kids want candy it will be in my purse. Do they plan on searching my purse??

If they are losing money then they need to work a better deal with the movie studios, or lower the prices on the concession . I also only go to the early show on weekends when the prices are low.

 

[Scurvy]

Well, there are 3 choices
1) don't eat at all. Yes, this is doable and even if we eat beforehand its still fun to have a snack to munch on. Not necessary but funner.

2) pay the exhorbitant prices on the concession stand snacks.

3) sneak in your own food.

Only one of these in bringing in money for the theater and if your main concern is money for the theater, then choices 1 and 3 are NOT bringing in any revenue for the theater.

I guess I'm a bad person, I will continue to bring in drinks and candy, but will buy the popcorn there. And yes, I have brought my own food into sporting events and amusement parks, too. But, I usually see long lines at the concession stands so I will wager a bet that most people do not bring in their own food.

There are a few options that you forgot.
4. Choose to go to a theater that does allow you to bring in outside food.
5. Watch movies at home so you can make your own rules.
6. Try to convince the theater to change the rule, or failing in that ask the manager to make an exception for you.

I guess I am just not going to be able to understand the mentality that we can simply choose to disregard rules just because we don't like them or they are not convenient for us.

 

[blanq]

There are a few options that you forgot.
4. Choose to go to a theater that does allow you to bring in outside food.
5. Watch movies at home so you can make your own rules.
6. Try to convince the theater to change the rule, or failing in that ask the manager to make an exception for you.

I guess I am just not going to be able to understand the mentality that we can simply choose to disregard rules just because we don't like them or they are not convenient for us.

I actually agree with you, Scurvy. If/when my theater implements a ban, I will follow it. I would have a hard time disregarding a rule if I am clear about it.

All of this rule talk reminds me of one of my favorite Dwight Schrute sayings from The Office: "It's the law because the rules say so".I Love Dwight.

 

[eliza61]

Oh, I CAN get through a 2 or 3 hour movie without having to eat or drink, but why would I WANT to?

That's me too! The popcorn is a MUST! If I have a nice dinner out first, and we're stuffed... I'd prefer not to see a movie for no other reason than I don't have room for popcorn and would rather see it another night when I do have room! No popcorn = no movie in my book!!

That's me. I buy the popcorn and a large soda to split. I smuggle in every thing else.

 

[Thumper_Man]

For DW and I, this is usually a date night. Dinner and a movie. We don't go to the movies too often. Maybe twice a year at the most. We'll pick one of our favorite restaurants to go to and eat before the movie. By the time we make it to the movie, we are usually too full for popcorn, candy or any other type of food. We try to follow the rules and not bring in any outside food or drink. Usually we will buy the humungoid drink and share it. That's about the only thing we really buy from the concession. We've already paid enough to get into the movie, can't really afford the high concession prices.

 

[Planogirl]

We never eat or drink anything at the theater. It used to be fun but it got too expensive and we can wait a few hours to have something.

 

[Debbiebee68]

Getting ripped off is annoying, but I reserve the right to decide what I feed my child. The salt and fat content in a movie theater popcorn is absolutely absurd and nothing that I want my child eating.

It costs me $11. for an adult ticket and $7.50 for a children's ticket to see a movie. I have to sit through 20 minutes of advertising for which they are making money and NOT WHAT I PAID to see. They did not ask me if I wanted to watch commercials, so I think my bag of pretzels is my payment.

 

[kaytieeldr]

Well, since you know there will be twenty minutes of advertising you don't want to see, plan your arrival accordingly.

It's fine that you don't want to feed your child all that oil (ignoring the salt claim, since it's more likely than not that your pretzels are salted), fine. I'm still not understanding why, if the patron disagrees with the concession pricing, it's necessary to eat or drink anything while in the theater.

 

[Colleen27]

That's me. I buy the popcorn and a large soda to split. I smuggle in every thing else.

Same here. To be fair, though, I would pay the overpriced concession cost if they had anything I would/could eat, but they don't. I'm accustomed to diet soda but don't care for diet Pepsi, and splitting a regular Mt Dew with DH is about all the sugar I can take in a sitting. So if I want a snack, I smuggle in a package of jerky from the shop next door to the theatre (weird, I know, but I grew up with a diabetic and developed a lifelong love of low-carb snacks). I've even suggested to the manager that they start carrying it, because the jerky shop advertises on the pre-show reel and looks really good, but he just laughed, not rudely but like he thought I was joking.

 

[Muffin]

What's the difference whether I don't buy concessions at the movie because (1) I ate at home first or (2) I snuck my own in.

They still don't make any money off of me except for my admission.

If I'm one to not buy movie snacks cause they're too expensive, I won't buy from them just because they ban outside food. I'll make sure I eat at home first.

 

[smidgen21]

I buy and popcorn and pop but I smuggle in candy and sometimes a bottle of water....all that salt makes me thirsty! I've recently starting going to the movie alone....$9 for ticket, $8 for popcorn/pop combo...$17 for 2 hrs. they've made enough off me IMHO.

 

[kaytieeldr]

What's the difference whether I don't buy concessions at the movie because (1) I ate at home first or (2) I snuck my own in.

They still don't make any money off of me except for my admission.

If I'm one to not buy movie snacks cause they're too expensive, I won't buy from them just because they ban outside food. I'll make sure I eat at home first.

The theater has and wants no control over what you do in your own home, or anywhere off their premises. But when they have a rule about what can and can't be brought into the theater - as in, allowing only food purchased at the concession stands - and patrons sneak, smuggle, or other-euphemism in anyway, they fully intend to eat inside the building but refuse to abide by the business-owner's rules.

If the theater doesn't offer "THE" product you will eat/drink, try to work with the manager to get it stocked. Yes, I have read Colleen27's experience with the jerky. Since the theater manager thinks she's joking, maybe she could present her suggestion to the store manager and include the reasoning.

 

[kaytieeldr]

I buy and popcorn and pop but I smuggle in candy and sometimes a bottle of water....all that salt makes me thirsty! I've recently starting going to the movie alone....$9 for ticket, $8 for popcorn/pop combo...$17 for 2 hrs. they've made enough off me IMHO.

So in two hours you need a container of popcorn, a cup of soda, candy, and a bottle of water? Respectfully, when do you have time to watch the movie?

 

[MAKHayes-DisneyDiva]

Sometimes I can't resist the smell of movie theater popcorn!
But I usually bring my own bottle of water.

 

[Muffin]

The theater has and wants no control over what you do in your own home, or anywhere off their premises. But when they have a rule about what can and can't be brought into the theater - as in, allowing only food purchased at the concession stands - and patrons sneak, smuggle, or other-euphemism in anyway, they fully intend to eat inside the building but refuse to abide by the business-owner's rules.

If the theater doesn't offer "THE" product you will eat/drink, try to work with the manager to get it stocked. Yes, I have read Colleen27's experience with the jerky. Since the theater manager thinks she's joking, maybe she could present her suggestion to the store manager and include the reasoning.

I'm sorry, I guess I didn't make my point very well. I know they have no control over what I do in my home.

Let's say I'm a person who has always brought my own food in because I'm frugal. Now AMC bans outside food. I'm not going to start buying their concessions. I'm either going to eat before or after or I'm going to sneak my food in.

They still haven't made any money off of me except for my admission.

What's the difference? I'm not buying their concessions regardless.

 

[luvsJack]

Well, since you know there will be twenty minutes of advertising you don't want to see, plan your arrival accordingly.

It's fine that you don't want to feed your child all that oil (ignoring the salt claim, since it's more likely than not that your pretzels are salted), fine. I'm still not understanding why, if the patron disagrees with the concession pricing, it's necessary to eat or drink anything while in the theater.

that is, of course, always a choice; but how is making that choice going to help the theater anymore than taking in your own food?