Boxoffice-October.01.1955

;
FOOD AND
REFRESHMENTS
FOUR VITAL STEPS TO GREATER CANDY SALES
An Expert in the Business Points Out Careful Selection of Items,
Open, Mass Display, Suggestive Selling and Employe Incentive
By VAN MYERS*
I AM SURE you have all experimented,
as I have, in this relatively young field of
theatre concession vending and have found
tried and true formulae for maximizing
candy sales.
There are no panaceas or exact scientific
formula in this field, but there are
certain patterns of merchandising that
have and will prove successful. It is important
to understand, however, that no
one speaks as an expert. You are catering
to the public, and public tastes vary not
only in different parts of the country, but,
in fact, from theatre to theatre in the
same city. A class house, for instance,
might not sell the same merchandise as
a sub-run neighborhood house or a drive-in
theatre.
In this respect each general manager
must experiment with the price lines
and type of merchandi.se for each individual
location, until he has attained a successful
pattern for approaching, maximum
.sales. Each theatre then is an individual
merchandising entity, and the products
sold, and the price lines must cater to the
peculiar taste of its patrons. The knowledge
of what to carry can only be gained
by analysis based on experience and experimentation.
So, we must understand from the outset,
that you are bounded by the six or eight
or ten feet of allotted candy display space,
and what you place in that space is tremendously
important if you are to maximize
sales, but no one can answer the problem
except yourself after you have gained
a thorough understanding of the taste and
wants of your patronage. Few theatres are
exactly analogous and hence there is danger
in comparisons.
In my opinion, it is fundamental and
basic that you realize that theatre vending
falls into the category of "impulse" selling.
By that phrase, I mean that theatre patrons
primarily come to see a show, gravitate
to a concessions counter that is wellplaced,
well-lighted and having a limited
time to buy, must quickly and impulsively
make a decision. Hence merchandising and
selling techniques must be geared to this
psychology of purchasing.
Logically, then, one of the most important
factors in this type of selling is
display. We find mass displays most effective.
In most cases we use open-top step
counters with mirrored backings, and we
pile our candy high and in neat stacks. By
using mass displays, we place our more
expensive and higher profit items in the
most prominent positions. We find that a
good percentage of patrons have not made
up their mind what they want to buy when
they approach the counter, and hence will
pick up and purchase the closest or nearest
item.
THE PSYCHOLOGY IS IMPORTANT
I say again, we believe in mass displays
available to the patron's touch. A person
will pick up a candy bar and wait to be
served, but may not wait for an attendant
to serve him from inside the counter. The
length of time for each transaction might
be the same, but the psychology is not.
People say to me, "Aren't you afraid of
shortages or pilferage?" Certainly, we
don't want shortages, and we have been
successful in controlling them well within
the national averages of control. Just remember
then, when you run undue shortages,
it i.sn"t your patrons, but most likely
a careless or dishonest employe.
So much for display.
To maximize sales, you must sell. Your
salesgirls mustn't passively put in time,
but actively sell. Salesgirls must be instructed
to use prepared sales phrases, remembering
that the first ten words spoken
in impulse selling are more valuable than
the next 10,000. If a sales attendant said
to every patron, "Would you like to try
a delicious package of chocolate almonds
i25-cent size)?" she probably would sell a I
certain percentage of all undecided purchasers.
You can make your own phrases,
push what you want, i
but you will increase
sales with "active" and ''suggestive" selling.
Patrons will pick up a bar and v/oit to pay for it, but may not wait to be served from inside a case,
Van Myers, Wometco circuit, says, in stressing the need for open display. This candy case in the
Miracle Theatre on the Miracle Mile in Coral Gobies, Fla ,
also illustrates another important factor: mass
display. The Miracle is a first run house.
MORE SALES BY SUGGESTION
"Suggestive" selling, too, is effective percentagewise.
After a patron has effected
a purchase, the salesgirl could say, "Would
you like to try this new imported chocolate
bar." or whatever you want to push.
Again by selling additional merchandise to
a percentage of purchasers your sales will
increase.
So increase your sales with "active" and
"suggestive" selling. We have talked now
about better merchandising through techniques
of displays and salcsman.ship. I,et's
discuss a third and most important sliin\ilus
to retail selling incentive.
No one. regardless of who they are
works at peak capacity perpetually. Furth-.
ermore. if there is no incentive in directi
relation to efforts and ability other than
8 The MODEHN THEATRE SECnOh'