Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Video Games in lobby help or hurt concessions?

This is topic Video Games in lobby help or hurt concessions? in forum Ground Level at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Gary Davidson (Member # 2198) on 08-20-2004, 04:12 PM:

As a general rule do video games in the lobby help or hurt concession sales?

Posted by Rachel Gilardi (Member # 1016) on 08-20-2004, 04:51 PM:

Obviously it depends on where they are placed, what kind of clientele you have, and how big your theater is.

At my old 7 screen I honestly don't think it help or hurt concessions by having the video games. We had mostly older clientele and the games didn't get used too often except during matinees, they were placed about 30 feet (I'm guessing) from the main concession station.

At my old 3 screen it helped our concession sales because we used to have kids come to the theater to just play games, or stay long after their movie was over (that's not a great thing either though...) because there was nothing else to do in that city. The kids hung around and purchased sodas and candy just because they were there and we didn't have free refills so if they were there also for a movie, sometimes they would buy more then one soda. The video games in that particular theater were maybe 10 feet from the concession stand, the lobby was tiny.

Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 08-20-2004, 05:13 PM:

I honestly don't see how they can hurt concession sales. Its not like many people would have to choose one or the other. In the theatre I worked at that had them, as rachel said, people would come just for the games. Just be sure to turn them off before the last set starts letting out or the kids will stay all night! At another theatre that I worked that didn't have games, I constantly got asked where they were hiding. I would reply that the closest thing we had were payphones!

Posted by Gary Davidson (Member # 2198) on 08-20-2004, 05:20 PM:

Thanks for info, both of you! Are there any "official studies" that have been done by any theater chains that confirm the belief that video games actually help concessions?

Posted by Jack Ondracek (Member # 1466) on 08-20-2004, 05:51 PM:

No study here.

However, I can say that, at the very least, video games can help distract a customer in times when lines (or waits for kitchen food items) might be long. I've also seen cases when a customer will pay to get in, then spend much of the evening, feeding quarters into the games.

Oh...btw... video games are a GREAT source of quarters... something we never seem to have enough of around here.

Posted by JC Cowles (Member # 914) on 08-20-2004, 06:08 PM:

In my experience, video games were completely separate from concessions. It was a great way for people to spend their extra quarters, although I would see most customers play the games upon exiting the theatre vs entering. I did have a few who just came to the theatre to play video games since arcade halls are a thing of the past.

Posted by Adam Martin (Member # 641) on 08-22-2004, 12:57 PM:

Enough with the video game threads. Discuss it here.