Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: AMC Makes Concession To Fat Moviegoers

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Posted by System Notices (Member # 2357) on 04-05-2011, 03:54 PM:

AMC Makes Concession To Fat Moviegoers

Source: deadline.com

quote:
Last year at ShoWest, Sony Pictures Entertainment CEO Michael Lynton appealed to theater owners to introduce healthy foods at concession stands to combat obesity in kid moviegoers. This morning, Lynton lauded AMC for listening. Other chains are helping out by making fattening snacks, popcorn and soda so expensive it's prohibitive expensive to buy them, kind of like cigarettes.

Sony Pictures Entertainment Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Michael Lynton today welcomed the announcement by AMC Theatres (AMC) that audiences will now be able to purchase “smart snack choices” at the company’s theaters.

“I applaud AMC for making healthier snacks available for theatergoers at concession stands around the country. I believe this will be good for business and for public health,” Lynton said.

In March, 2010, Lynton called on theater owners at ShoWest (now CinemaCon) to serve healthy food in addition to their traditional offerings. In his ShoWest remarks, Lynton said, “By bringing healthier snacks into your concession stands, you would be helping our country meet an urgent public health need. Taking this step is also great for audiences and for your business, because people want to see healthier foods in theaters, and when they do, they’ll buy them.”

Lynton announced last year that the Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a project of the William J. Clinton Foundation and the American Heart Association, had offered to advise theater owners on adding healthier snacks to their menus. AMC did work with the Alliance and said it “modeled AMC Smart MovieSnacks on the Alliance's school competitive food and beverage guidelines, which the organization uses in its work that supports more than 11,000 U.S. schools.”

Posted by Louis Bornwasser (Member # 3063) on 04-05-2011, 06:52 PM:

Don't you think they should have healthy AND non healthy concessions? That way you could "choose your poison."

Us burger-eaters might not feel welcome at AMC. louis

Posted by Martin McCaffery (Member # 37) on 04-05-2011, 07:58 PM:

It's a movie theatre, not a health food store. If they're really worried about kid obesity, they'd running nothing but R movies and tell the kids to go outside and play [evil]

Posted by David E. Nedrow (Member # 4981) on 04-05-2011, 08:32 PM:

quote:
Other chains are helping out by making fattening snacks, popcorn and soda so expensive it's prohibitive expensive to buy them, kind of like cigarettes.

I disbelieve this. What movie theatre is going to price their concessions out of purchasable range? I would have to see evidence of a successful for profit theatre that is doing this.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 04-05-2011, 10:57 PM:

I don't think the movie theater is the right place to apply higher prices to unhealthy foods. A bag of popcorn is already pretty damned expensive as it is. The act of raising prices significantly higher can lead to a customer backlash.

Most people can't afford to eat out and visit theaters all the time. Those are places where people should be able to indulge, but do so within reason.

The bigger problem is what Americans are doing when they're not sitting in a dark movie theater: sitting at their desks all day at work and sitting on the couch all evening at home. We're not active enough. So much of the "food" sold in grocery stores is shit. And if you want healthier choices you end up paying a LOT more for the luxury.

Posted by Pravin Ratnam (Member # 1417) on 04-05-2011, 11:27 PM:

I just question the wisdom of parents spending 30 dollars on concession and then complaining about how expensive movies are. It's a freaking two hour movie. If you got money to burn, that's fine. otherwise, I just find it odd how people feel the need to eat something every single time they watch a movie.

But I thank them. otherwise ticketbuyers like me may be forced to pay more for the movie tickets.

Posted by Mike Frese (Member # 4361) on 04-06-2011, 06:55 AM:

quote:
Other chains are helping out by making fattening snacks, popcorn and soda so expensive it's prohibitive expensive to buy them, kind of like cigarettes.

I believe he is being sarcastic. Studios have often been jealous of the high gross margins on concessions and have often wanted a share of those profits.

Posted by Ed Alvarado (Member # 2760) on 04-19-2011, 06:30 AM:

well now see doing this is why you see piracy in films and bags and bags of mess on the theater floor that is not in the concession stand. they can raise the price all they want but all you need to do is hide food in your purse or pockets. they are actually going to ruin it for them self's.

Posted by Jim Bedford (Member # 4) on 04-19-2011, 01:50 PM:

Teaser title. I thought it meant that AMC was going to put in wider seats.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-22-2011, 11:49 AM:

It wouldn't matter if you made popcorn and soda a buck apiece, people would still sneak stuff in for two reasons: 1. They think they're getting away with something, or 2. The theatre doesn't happen to sell the type of drink or snack they want.

Posted by Caleb Johnstone-Cowan (Member # 3710) on 04-24-2011, 02:59 PM:

I'm with Jim, thought this was about wider seats. There are some Cinemas and Theatres in London which are going to have to make the seats wider on the next refurbishment, we are catching up with you guys on the obesity problem!

We obviously do not encourage outside food but we do not ban it (although our competitors do), with the exception of hot food. I'm not sure the industry can offer 'healthy' food at a price that will satisfy both our customers and our business. If people want to bring their own bottle of water and fruit in I'd rather let them and spend the time saved on the argument on my concessions stand trying to exceed our targets there.

Has the impact of lower concession prices on retail transaction percentage/hit rate ever been researched and published?

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 04-25-2011, 12:15 AM:

I blame 3D surcharges -- theatres got the message that audiences are okay with shelling out more bucks for trash.

Movie theatre popcorn can still be healthy for you -- in smaller quantities! Has nobody thought of that? And, of course, a smaller portion would be cheaper. This does both -- healthier option/more attractive price point -- without messing with tradition.

I would hope -- at least -- that the more expensive (bad for you) popcorn will still be made with the delicious coconut oil. Anyone remember the Canola oil fiasco from Summer of 1994?

Take-away lesson from that episode -- Don't mess with movie theatre popcorn. Don't mess with tradition!

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 04-28-2011, 09:37 PM:

I think it'll be a long time before we see wider seats.

For one, I think it can be *argued* that being fat is a choice.

But really -- follow the money -- what exhibitor wants *fewer* seats in their cinema?

Posted by Frank Cox (Member # 6258) on 04-29-2011, 01:42 AM:

I know of at least one small theatre who reduced his seat count and walled off part of his auditorium. It was an old opera house from back when God was a little boy, and the town was too small to fill the place, and the heat bill was killing him in the winter.

So it does happen that someone shrinks his theatre.

My theatre is big enough that it seldom fills but small enough that if there are ten people at a show it looks like there is someone there, and the heat bill isn't too bad.

On the subject of sneaking in food, I had someone sneak in a case of beer a few years back. WITH the case. I still have no idea how that got in, but it was there between the rows when we did the clean-up.

My standard line when I catch someone bringing in outside food or drinks is "Would you go to a restaurant and bring your own sandwich?"

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 04-29-2011, 01:36 PM:

As I said:

quote: Manny Knowles
follow the money

He did it to benefit his own bottom line -- not fat patrons.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 04-29-2011, 10:51 PM:

quote: Manny Knowles
follow the money -- what exhibitor wants *fewer* seats in their cinema?

The seat count in our theatre has been reduced five times since 1930, usually to install wider seats and/or to increase legroom. In 1982 we removed two rows in the back of the auditorium in order to make the concession area larger and add some storage space.

The theatre opened in 1930 with 500 seats, and we have 194 now. The balcony had 75 seats on opening day, and has 44 now.

The theatre in Hardin, Montana had over 500 seats at one time, but when it was gutted and rebuilt, they only used the back two-thirds of the building and installed about 180 seats. They planned to turn the other part of the building into another screen but that has never happened.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 04-30-2011, 12:46 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
In 1982 we removed two rows in the back of the auditorium in order to make the concession area larger

I dunno, man...sounds like we're still following the money...

Question: were you selling out on a regular basis? Do you really miss those seats?

As for the other theatre -- if you consider their *intention* -- we are still following the money.

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-01-2011, 12:21 AM:

Well....name one for-profit business that isn't following the money.

Sellouts? Come on man, this is a small town, we have maybe 3 sellouts a year, if we're lucky. But, nowadays we run those blockbuster movies for 2 or 3 weeks plus a lot of people are savvy enough to wait for day 4 or week 2 or whatever, so we don't usually have to turn anybody away.

And, our concession area was laughably small (and still is too small, but it's about as big as it can get). The theatre didn't have a concession stand at all when originally built.

Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 05-01-2011, 01:01 AM:

I have nothing against turning a profit. Nothing at all.

I'm just calling it as I see it. Nothing wrong with that either.