Boxoffice-December.02.1950

I
most
A HANDBOOK OF SUCCESSFUL
REFRESHMENT MERCHANDISING
by V.
L WADKINS*
OEULING SWEETS in
theatres to swell
profits is OS old as showmanship. And showmanship
is probably as old as man, though
the statements of certain zealots that Noah's
Ark was the first showboat must be taken
with studied reservations.
X HE MOST IMPORTANT faCtOl' abOUt
your refreshment stand is its location. In
our theatres It has been placed in the
advantageous spot possible, and has
been designed and built as part of the
theatre, so as not to give the impression
it was "stuck in" as an afterthought.
Cleanliness is a "must" in handling
things that people eat and drink. As
practically every sale in the theatre is
an impulse sale, a spotlessly clean and
attractive display is all-important.
DRESSING YOUR CANDY CASE
We have developed a method of trimming
our candy cases so that they will be
well balanced, having diversified color arrangement,
making for easy selection on
the part of the customer. Every candy
bar or box item has a complement. For
example. Dots will balance well in a case
with Black Crows, Mounds with Almond
Joys, Fifth Avenue with Oh Henry and
Switzer Licorice with Tootsie Rolls. By
pairing your candy items in this manner
and trimming the case from both ends
toward the middle, you will achieve the
desired results. The diagram on page 10 illustrates
the display of about 55 candy
complements.
We have found that by displaying
last-selling ten-cent items such as
Mounds, Hersheys. Almond Joys and
25 Carat on top of the counter our
percentage of sales in ten-cent items
has jumped from 19 per cent to as
high as 44 per cent. There is some-
*Manager,
County Thee
& Se
Indl<
U N THESE PAGES are presented a condensation
of the manual of candy and popcorn
selling operations recommended to the managers
of the twenty houses in the circuit with which
Wadkins is associated.
Each theatre is equipped with a custom-built
refreshment service counter where both candy
and popcorn are sold quite successfully.
The techniques and opinions expressed in the
manual reflect the experience of this circuit and
have not been edited to conform with any notional
average conditions.
thing about open display which quickens
the impulse to buy. People will
pick up a candy bar and wait with the
money in their hands to be laaited on
where they won't wait to be served
from under glass.
In our theatres, where space permitted,
we have placed backbars, which we regard
with the same degree of emphasis in display
as we do the candy case. The backbar
particularly lends itself to the unit display
of chewing gums, Life Savers, Charms, etc.
Maintain an orderly but "massive" display
of candy on your backbar at all times,
winter and summer.
Candy has to be fresh to bring out all
of the flavor goodness of the ingredients
used in the manufacture of quality candy.
One of the major reasons the public has
accepted candy selling in theatres so enthusiastically
has been that in most instances
it has received candy that is
fresher than that sold in most other re-
( Continued on following pagei
"What passes for entertainment in any
day is the subject of a festive occasion
made more festive by something to chew
on, and the precedent for popcorn, soft
drinks and candy in a theatre is grounded
in ancient custom.
"Today's concession business in theatres
has grown into a big thing. The magic
fact about candy is that it is an impulse
item. In a recent survey the Dupont company
found that 71 per cent of candy sales
In food stores were made on impulse. More
than seven out of 10 candy purchases were
made on impu'se alone. In theatres even a
greater percentage of candy is purchased on
impulse.
"Now If attendance is down in your theatre,
it follows your candy sales will be down
unless you are able to increase the average
amount sold to each customer and create
that impulse to buy in the 40 per cent of
your patrons who do not ordinarily buy. The
odds are with you because 96 out of 100
women and 92 out of 100 men like candy.
The odds are probably 1,000 to 1 that the
average moviegoer has no candy with him
when he enters the theatre. Entertainment
puts people in the mood for candy. And
furthermore, they have two or three hours
In which to enjoy the delicious tidbit which
you are going to sell them."
V. L. WADKINS
Indiana County Theatres Co.
BOXOFTICE
December 2, 1950