quote: Thomas Pitt

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Having higher prices when more people are likely to attend (evenings and weekends) may well increase revenue, but could discourage people from attending. On the other hand, lower ticket prices will bring in more customers, but each one will be paying less.

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I'm sure he knew this already.

To the poster:
Some chains, instead, have consistent prices but simply have the matinée starting at an earlier time on the weekend.
 

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Posted by Joel N. Weber II (Member # 3530) on 08-20-2007, 05:53 AM:
 
Do you currently have enough seats to meet the current demand on Friday and Saturday? What is your current admission pricing?

What is the nearby competition charging on Friday and Saturday night?

Are there going to be people who come on a Sunday, pay for an $8.50 ticket, and then will be upset when they show up two months later on a Saturday expecting to pay $8.50?
 

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Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 08-20-2007, 10:04 AM:
 
I've never heard of differnt pricing for different days, but of course evening showtimes usually command higher prices.

You could do what the Carmikes around here do. They'll have shows at 1:00, 3:00, 5:00, 7:00, 9:00 and 11:00 PM, and put a huge SUPER BARGAIN MATINEES! at the top of their ad, but if you use a microscope you can see faint parentheses around the "5:00" showtime and even smaller text under the matinee announcement saying the bargain prices are only good for showtimes in parentheses.

Dan Klusmann of the IME (which many of us here subscribe to) has suggested different pricing for different movies. So if you're playing the big blockbuster, you charge more than you do for a "Daddy Day Care" or similar piece of crap.
 

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Posted by Richard P. May (Member # 3598) on 08-20-2007, 10:13 AM:
 
The ArcLight in Hollywood CA has done this since its opening.
I believe the prices are $11.00 matinees and weekdays, and $14.00 weekend evenings.
This might not be exactly right, but you can check their website for details.

RPM
 

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Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 08-20-2007, 12:07 PM:
 
Regal uses differential pricing for weekends in Bakersfield. Their Edwards stadium is $9.25 Sun-Thurs and $9.75 Fri-Sat. The UA East Hills uses the same 50 cent difference, but their prices are $8.75 and $9.25.

[ 08-20-2007, 04:17 PM: Message edited by: Paul Linfesty ]
 

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Posted by David Zylstra (Member # 4230) on 08-20-2007, 12:39 PM:
 
Loews did this before the AMC merger in several markets across the country - Friday night, Saturday night and nights before holidays all had higher evening prices than weekday evenings. The pricing policy was put in effect at locations that were very busy on weekend evenings - locations with mediocre weekend evening attendance had consistent evening prices.

Obviously there may be some customers chased away to the competition, but if you have a popular location that is in demand it may serve to encourage some value minded customers to come during the matinee or weekday evenings thereby spreading the attendance out over the week.

If memory serves the locations in MI that had "premium pricing" did not seem to suffer any loss in attendance.
 

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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 08-20-2007, 02:01 PM:
 
Cinemark has been doing that forever here. Evening shows weekdays are $7.25; $7.75 on Fri-Sat. The Cinemark subrun is $1.50 weekdays; $2.00 on Fri-Sat (maybe Sun too, not sure).

I'm pretty sure the new Regal is doing this too. $8.25 normal weekday evening; I want to say $9.00 weekend evenings, not positive about that.
 

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Posted by Michael Wilkinson (Member # 2389) on 08-20-2007, 09:13 PM:
 
Thanks for the input everybody.

A little more background: The Vogue is a 240 seat single screen and easily has the potential to sell out on Friday and Saturday opening weekends. It would be nice to move a little bit of that business over to the other nights. Up till now this theatre had been a Regal house and their evening rate was $10.25.

Chris: I have considered reducing the matinee hours on weekends but the only strong showtimes now are the 7PM shows.

Joel: My neighbors charge 9.25 general/7.00 mat and 9.50 general/7.50 mat. The lowest first run evening price in the city is $8.50.

Since the theatre is already established above the $10 mark for evening prices I was thinking than rather to match everyone else that I would stick with the $10 program on Friday and Saturday nights and then have the lowest evening price of $8.50 on Sunday through Thursday.

I would like to accomplish two things by doing this: 1st ease the current demand on Friday and Saturday nights a little bit (perhaps making room for potential new customers) and 2nd boost sales on the sluggish weeknights (through a certain percentage of my existing clientele shifting to weeknights and reaching new customers by being more competitively price when I have the seats available)

This would only be worth doing if at least 10-15% of the theatre's existing customers as well as potential customers would eventually be motivated to alter their viewing habits based on this price break.

Thanks!
 

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Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 08-20-2007, 09:37 PM:
 
Hi Michael; Folks:

The Vogue must have more than 240 seats. Was this a typo? I know that a few rows were removed to create a handicap section.

The best thing about a $10.00 evening ticket is the ease in accepting payment without the hassles of giving change.

Mike
 

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Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 08-21-2007, 12:42 AM:
 
I think the Vogue sat around 300 seats when I visited it in the mid 70's (if I remember correctly, they only had 8 seats in the center section, maybe 4 in each of the side sections. (it had a smoking loge section that went for $4.00 with $3.50 general seats). UA ran it back then. I saw THE MAN WHO FELL TO EARTH in 4-track magnetic stereo. San Francisco had quite a few tiny single screens back then. It seems rather odd today to think of a 300 seat auditorium as being tiny.
 

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Posted by Michael Wilkinson (Member # 2389) on 08-21-2007, 01:45 AM:
 
No Typo. Wider chairs & wheelchair seating have substantially reduced the auditorium seating capacity.

Paul-With the way the big releases are hitting now it seems that one can ever have enough seats on the opening Friday! I know that, this summer, on more than one opening night I could have nearly filled to double the 400 capacity in my Colusa Theatre. (BTW The capacity used to be 560 before wider chairs and wheelchair seating)

Any more thoughts on the pricing structure?
 

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Posted by Michael Wilkinson (Member # 2389) on 08-29-2007, 12:56 AM:
 
I guess that I get to be the guinea pig.
My evening pricing is $10 Fri & Sat and $8.50 Sun-Thu. Seniors, Kids, & Matinee < 6PM are $7.50.
Thanks for the input, I'll let you know what happens.
 

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Posted by Dustin Mitchell (Member # 372) on 08-29-2007, 01:36 AM:
 
My guess is its not going to move business away from Friday/Saturday. People go to the movies when they want to go out, not when its cheapest for them (usually). Many people lead busy lives and just because they are free on Friday doesn't mean they'll be free on Sudnay.

HOWEVER, promote it properly and you might get people coming in on the cheaper days who might not have come at all before. Time will tell I guess.
 

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Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 08-29-2007, 04:20 PM:
 
I have to agree. People are likely going to the Vogue for its location and character, I don't think the price will change their mind. (If you live in SF, you're used to paying a lot).

However, if you are going to fluxuate on your pricing, you need to let people know who may not already be your customer. If you can get people to stop going to your competitor because they know you're $1.50 cheaper, then you're in business.
 

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Posted by Eric Hooper (Member # 1730) on 08-30-2007, 10:07 PM:
 
Mike, I wish you much success with the Vogue. I used to be a Regal Secret Shopper for the Vogue (and Coronet and Metro, maybe that's why they all closed? LOL. ), so I've seen all types of audiences and movies at the Vogue within the last few years. It definitely has potential, and it truly relies on the neighborhood for the majority of it's audience. There are also certainly a few folks in SF who WILL travel to the Vogue for what it is. Mainly, for what's it's not I should say (AMC 54-plex).

I have mixed views on the differential pricing. My first thought as a customer is showing up on Friday night and seeing the price difference for Sunday night and feeling "cheated" or "taken advantage of" or even "nickel and dimed" for being there on a Friday night.

On the flip side, after I see the movie on a Friday night, and looking to go to the Vogue again for the next attraction, I might consider going on Sunday or Tuesday night, to feel as though I'm getting the better value and/or better deal. So in essence, the plan works to get me in on a Sunday-Thursday. And if I reeeeely want to see a movie Friday night, I know about the option to pay the $10 and go.

It's really a kind of catch-22 I think... But in all honesty, like I said folks are going to the Vogue because it's the Vogue, so I don't think you'd loose any customers or potential customers who might be miffed at first over paying more on a Fri-Sat night. The more I think about it and type this, I think it's a good idea.

Wasn't the idea of Bargain Matinees to get folks to the theatre in the daytime? Well, this is the same sort of marketing... Gettin' folks in the seats during the weeknights!

I'm waitin' to see the day when entire wings of theatres at these "54-plexes" are actually closed off mon-thur...with only half of the screens of the "54-plex" operating. You know it's coming...

Also Mike, what about working out some deals with the surrounding restaurants offering a combo "dinner and a movie" package. From what I read, the restaurants were a big supporter of keeping the Vogue open. This would bring business to both the restaurants and the theatre!
 

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Posted by Michael Wilkinson (Member # 2389) on 09-18-2007, 01:34 AM:
 
Here's what's happened so far: nothing. I have been there for shifts on Friday & Saturday evening as well as Sunday through Thursday evenings and I have not really heard more than one or two people make a comment one way or another. I have heard "expensive" on one Friday night, but the $10 isn't much different than the numbers at the other theaters. So far I haven't really had the best films to pick from so I'm not sure if I'll be able to gauge the success until a little more time has elapsed.

About working with the restaurants: Yes, I agree that this may prove to be the best discount ticketing alternative for a neighborhood venue such as the Vogue. I will certainly give that a try once the renovations are complete.
 

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Posted by Thomas Pitt (Member # 4322) on 09-18-2007, 03:39 PM:
 
In the UK, new movies tend to be released each Friday. People wanting to go and see the first screenings often have to pay the higher price - since they can't go and see it during the day, with work, school etc.

I noticed that Cineworld Bradford is doing a special 'bargain matinée' on Mondays and Tuesdays. Films shown in the daytime, from 12pm (opening time) to 4:30pm, are only about £3 for an adult ticket!

In addition, it seems that my local cinema (Leeds Light) has finally realized that they're not doing enough business in the mornings and early afternoons. It's no longer the summer vacation, so children won't be coming to see movies - and many adults are at work. Therefore, they don't actually open on weekdays until 2pm!
Weekends, on the other hand, are a different matter - opening at 11am...
 

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Posted by John Joseph Fink (Member # 3619) on 09-18-2007, 08:44 PM:
 
Some Crown Theaters (before they sold most sites to Bow Tie) had a drasticaly diffrent price structure for weekdays for about a year ("Crown Movie Madness", they called it).

I'm not sure how well it did but I can say at the Palace in Hartford it was discontinued shortly after Bow Tie Cinemas took over. They charged $9.00 for an adult ticket on the weekends and $6.00 Monday-Thursday. I also am not sure how well they did, I know I was apt to go more often but I didn't really see any change in attendance and folks still came out on the weekends.

The program was heavily promoted in the local papers, website and the lobby but it never lead to major crowds on the weekdays from my experience during the program. AMC also has this price structure at their Hampton 24 - all shows during their "Weekday Escape" are $6.00 (verses $9.00). I don't know what sort of results its had.
 

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Posted by Mike Croaro (Member # 3123) on 09-18-2007, 11:01 PM:
 
Come to think of it UA used to have "$2.50 Tuesday" at their three first run theatres in the mid to late 90's in Santa Rosa, CA.
At the time Adult Tickets were in the range of $7.50 adult and $4.50 Child/Senior/Matinee.

Mike
 

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Posted by Scott D. Neff (Member # 185) on 09-19-2007, 08:58 PM:
 
Having grown up in Sonoma County I thought that EVERY theatre had Tightwad/$2.50 Tuesday. It wasn't until I started managing theatres in Marin County and then working for Century that I realized it must have been a regional thing only.
 

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Posted by Robert Throop (Member # 61) on 09-22-2007, 12:41 PM:
 
I was an exhibitor for several years in the eighties and nineties. When I first reopened a closed theatre as a sub run house in 1981, at my booker's suggestion I charged $2.50 for adults on Friday and Saturday evenings and $1.50 all other times. Children and seniors were $1.50 at all times. My observation was that Fri. and Sat. nights were soft and weeknights were marginally busier. I was losing money. My subrun competition at that time was charging $1.00 at all times for all seats. After nearly a year I got the picture and went to a $.99 policy for all seats at all times. Within weeks I was in the black and continued this policy for many years. Eventually the distributors put per capitas on film rentals and drove prices up. This ruined the subrun business for me. I hung on for a few years as a first run but was ubable to compete with the nearby malls.
Bob
 

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Posted by Michael Wilkinson (Member # 2389) on 10-02-2007, 02:17 AM:
 
Quoting John

quote: John Joseph Fink

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The program was heavily promoted in the local papers, website and the lobby but it never lead to major crowds on the weekdays from my experience during the program. AMC also has this price structure at their Hampton 24 - all shows during their "Weekday Escape" are $6.00 (verses $9.00). I don't know what sort of results its had.

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I'm wondering since going to a movie is essentially a luxury anyway maybe a buck, two, or three in the over-all perceived cost of going (including concession cost) just isn't enoguh of a motivating factor for most to change their viewing habbits. Maybe the way to make it work would be to package a small concession item in with a ticket purchase?

Mike-Scott. $2.50 Tightwad Tuesday- . My experience with that was that your regular clientel would learn to avoid coming on Tuesdays altogether. Otherwise $2.50 Tuesday was a free for all for everyone else to come in with their green chewing gum, microwave popcorn, and spare diapers and trash the theatre.
 

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Posted by Chris Slycord (Member # 4239) on 10-02-2007, 10:08 AM:
 

quote: John Joseph Fink

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The program was heavily promoted in the local papers, website and the lobby but it never lead to major crowds on the weekdays from my experience during the program. AMC also has this price structure at their Hampton 24 - all shows during their "Weekday Escape" are $6.00 (verses $9.00). I don't know what sort of results its had.

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