Boxoffice-December.02.1950

ADDING PROFITS WITH
SEASONAL SPECIALS
Illustrated above is the Easter line of candy
specialties just released by the Shotwell Candy
Co. Child appeal, as well as prices in the lowrange
brockets are apparent. Plans for spring
promotions are already being made by many
circuits with Christmas displays now on the counters.
Entire Counter
Can Be Dressed
For Background
TEMMiNG FROM the fact that more
than 80 per cent of all theatre refreshment
purchases are impulses stimulated by attractive
displays, aromas or the sight of
taste-tempting confections, exhibitors almost
universally acknowledge the necessity
for changing both displays and decoration
of the theatre refreshment service counter.
To add highlights to the periodic changes
of refreshment counter arrangement, many
exhibitors take advantage of various seasonal
holidays to add special interest to
the counters. Such holiday promotions can
be planned on a year-round basis and, of
course, should provide for prominent display
well in advance of the holiday being
featured. By the same token, holiday specials
are deader than last week's newspaper
on the day after the event, and
should be changed promptly.
adopted by the circuit by whom he is
For example, one theatre manager whose
refreshment merchandising success has
been such that his practices have been
employed,
follows a general program like this;
beginning Halloween promotion in September,
he switches to a Thanksgiving motif
on October 31. Thanksgiving week he
changes his entire decoration to a Christmas
theme, and Christmas week starts a
nile green color scheme out as background
for his stand which begins to plug spring.
Easter is the first spring holiday to receive
attention, and in Easter week, summer
items are put in and changed regularly.
Two basic elements are involved in capitalizing
on holidays at the refreshment
service counter. In the first place is the
decoration of the stand itself.
As to the sale of .seasonal candy, there is
some division of opinion. In forming plans
for an individual theatre or an individual
circuit it is always wise to remember that
what will not work in one location may be
quite successful in another.
An important qualification to this statement,
however, expresses another wise concession
policy. Never buy too heavily on
seasonal candy specials until you have
worked out a pattern of your own and
know how much merchandise you can sell.
Seasonal candies, like seasonal displays are
dead items on the day after the holiday.
Now then, transposing other theatre refreshment
experience to the field of merchandising
seasonal specials, it has been
generally proved by concession executives
that you cannot sell any patron more
candy at a theatre refreshment counter
than he can consume in the three-hour
period he is inside the theatre.
Should this seem to eliminate attempts
to merchandise seasonal candies, change
your thinking, for in recent years many
national manufacturers of candies have
planned lines of specialties to reach the
impulse market. For instance, illustrated
at the heading of this article is the 1951
Easter specialty line of the Shotwell Candy
Co. which includes a wide variety of items
under the 29-cent limit which seems to be
the price point where theatre sales drop off.
In planning sea.sonal specialty promotions,
exhibitors agree it is necessary to
provide adequate seasonal background in
the overall decoration of the counter. Another
psychological factor of importance is
to have these impulse items readily accessible.
As has been proved, open display
where the patron can help himself, increases
the sale of items many times. The
everyday importance of a sparkling clean
counter and display, plus spotlessly uniformed
attendants, is emphasized in promoting
seasonal or holiday items.
The MODERN THEATRE SECTION