Cinema profits

[Andy008]

One of the worst jobs I ever had was working for a well-known national cinema chain. I only lasted a week. While I'm aware that the profit margins on the sweets and snacks they sell are pretty high, can anyone provide me with some more specific examples?

[ronnie963]

andy i wonder if you can tell me are people allowed to take their own (brought elsewhere)sweets/drinks in with them? i always do but make my kids hide them in their bags

[markja]

ronnie, you're a naughty boy! the cinema don't like people bringing thier own food & drinks in.it's against their terms & conditions. that said, they make so much money anyway why should we pay them a fortune for a dustbin sized ( small ) tub of popcorn. keep taking your own in, don't get caught, and don't worry about the poor mega stars ( �5 million per movie ) losing out on their percentage.

[paddy_36]

My nephew went to the cinema with some of his school chums - a big chain, but not sure if the same one as you worked in Andy008 - they had their sweets confiscated by cinema staff before they were allowed in to watch the film. An absolute disgrace!

[Loosehead]

They tried that on me once, they can't take sweets away, I said I've got a ticket to watch the film and just kept walking. Fortunately they pay very little wages so the people there don't know their ass from their elbow anyway.

[ronnie963]

actually markja i'm a naughty girl but i will still continue to take my own sweets in.

[whqttt]

I don't know the specifics, but it's fairly easy to estimate I'd have thought.

A 500g bag of unpopped popcorn costs under a pound, but will make probably 3-4 of the large bags that cinemas sell for 3-4 quid each.

Likewise with drinks - a 2 litre bottle of fizz will cost you about a pound, but you'll probably be charged 3-4 times that for half the amount - bearing in mind the drink you get is amply supplied with ice.

I expect a large coke/popcorn in a cinema only costs a pound or less - and that's based on retail prices that we pay as a consumer - I expect they get coca-cola syrup by the gallon for pennies.

But do remember that cinemas pay a sliding scale for (what is effectively) film hire from the distributor - they only start to make serious money per ticket when a film is a month old or so, before then they have to make profits from the concession stand.

Having said that, I truly, truly resent a family trip to the cinema (2 adults, 4 kids, each with a drink and popcorn) costing almost 60 quid. I could buy the film on DVD and give each of the kids a tenner pocket money and still have change...

[charliebaps]

If you do buy a drink then always ask for it without ice. It's cold anyway. Those sly cinemas!

[Miss Zippy]

Pick 'n' mix is nearly double the price at most cinemas local to me - �1.10 or more per 100g in the cinema but only 65p per 100g in Woolies and corner shops. I think the the large bags of sweets like Minstrels and Maltesers etc are �1 more in the cinema than in the shops (usually around �1.25 in the shops). I always take my own sweets to the cinema as I hate being ripped off. Having a handbag big enough for the kitchen sink usually means I end up smuggling in everyone one else's goodies too.

[aussiebird23]

my other half takes a packed lunch and quite happily sits there eating his cheese sandwiches. - takes all sorts i suppose!!!

[joules99]

Also as a matter of interest when you buy corn to pop (ie in it's un-popped state) it has no VAT, if you then pop it and sell it again it becomes VATable. This is because it becomes a 'prepared' snack after it's been popped. Even though it is exactly the same substance, just inside out!