Boxoffice-April.07.1958

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WANT TO HIT SALES JACKPOT ?
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preceding page
phasizing what you sell rather than concentrating
on buying. Sometimes items
should be eliminated, but emphasize those
you do handle. For example, the pizza oven
belongs out front where the customers can
see it.
WHILE FRENCH FRIES arc admittedly not
a big profit item, exhibitors believe that
as long as patrons put them into one of
the top categories, theatres will have to
sell them regardless of cost. A good idea is
to place the deep fryers and pizza oven so
that one man can handle them both.
TRAILERS ARE essential in putting over a
new product. Don't run the same trailer
week after week, but pull it off and you'll
notice a difference in sales. Trailers on
new items should be alternated with other
trailers.
BAD FOOD CAN liui't the boxoffice; if
playing day and date, reputation for good
food will get people into youi' theatre.
MAKE THE MOST of your concessions personnel.
Have brainstorms or discussions
with managers to get their ideas. The man
who runs the theatre knows more than
the man behind the desk.
WANT A CHECK ON your gross profit?
One profitable theatre tui'ned up these figures:
candy, 9 per cent; pies, 11 per cent;
drinks (including coffee) , 40 per cent; food,
37 per cent, and snowcones, 3 per cent.
AN ENTERPRISING circuit concessions
manager introduced a 12-oz. cup of coffee
.selling at 20 cents which went over well.
It was promoted with the coffee people's
money and both profited.
ONE EASTERN CIRCUIT has the butterserver
out on the counter where the patron
can serve himself. It was envisioned that
the patrons would use up to 12 squirts, but
they don't. It works out all right.
HOW DO YOU handle concessions sales
to employes? One circuit issues coupons to
employes for potatoes, hot dog, cold or hot
drink. They are picked up by the manager
at close of the last show.
AROUND 30 PER CENT of sales in drive-ins
are in hot foods. Deep fat items have many
favorable points of comparison and are
ready in two to eight minutes.
BUYING HABITS of the public should serve
to influence decisions as to what to buy
for the refreshment stand. For example,
candy bars are asked for by brand names.
On the other hand cello items are asked for
by selection of the item, such as jelly beans.
orange slices, Boston beans, etc. Knowing
this can be a factor in economical buying.
YOU CAN DOUBLE yi"' sale.-? with a pleasant,
personable, well-mannered concessions
saleslady; conversely, you can scare patrons
away with an ill-tempered, sloppy, disinterested
order-taker, and it takes .some selling
to gel them back.
PLACEMENT AND DISPLAY of concessions
items play a vital pari in sales. Everything
po.ssible should be put on the front of the
counter. Items should be varied, changed
in location (except for fixed equipment
and changed again. It's worth the work.
THE GREATEST PUSH on sales can be
achieved for noncarbonated drinks by the
use of bubblers and cascaders.
EXPERIENCED CONCESSIONAIRES are convinced
that no theatre should be without
an automatic ice machine, whether 200 or
2.000-car capacity. It's an expensive piece
of equipment and requires maintenance,
but an absolute necessity for preservation
of food and serving of cold drinks and snow
cones.
SOME DRIVE-IN EXHIBITORS believe that
the crinkle-cut potatoes are best because
they present more frying service for Fi-ench
fries.
IN THE NEW YORK area, in Spanish and
Puerto Rican houses, sliced, fried green
bananas called plantinas have appeared in
Menu to Each Car Increases
Purchases at
Concessions
The manager, 'Wally Kemp, of the Grand
Island (Neb.) Drive-In Theatre does a
simple thing which gets him extra business.
Every person entering the drive-in
gets a menu herald which lists all the items
in the concessions stand. The herald is
numbered, and a drawing during the concessions
break awards five numbers free
items from the concessions stand—each
winner receiving a hot dog, a box of corn
and a cold drink. Imagine how many
people examine this menu, and then develop
a desire for certain concessions items.
In addition, a weekly program is handed
to each car, so that patrons have a chance
to look coming programs over and decide
on something in the future which they
would like to see.
Kemp says he reasons this way: "I want
to hand them enough material so that they
what I've
just can't help but be aware of
got to sell—both in the concessions stand
and coming on the screen."
This is a simple thing to do. He even sells
merchants ads on these items so that they
cost him little. Have you ever tried this
idea with your patrons?
—Commonwealth
Messenger.
A great variety of display material is available to
theatres from the Popcorn Institute at cost price.
Some kits are priced as low as 50 cents, making it
possible for every theatreman to use them. Shown
here are three point-of -purchase signs.
the concessions, as well as fried bacon
rind. They are favorites with this type of
patron and help the sale of drinks.
A LOT DEPENDS on the picture, as to what
will sell in an indoor house. For example,
one conventional exhibitor's experience has
shown there's nothing that can't be sold in
an indoor house, even pizza, with a picture
like "Teenage Werewolf."
A LEADING CIRCUIT found that the concessions
operation was proving unprofitable
in two of its art houses showing foreign
films because the labor cost proved
higher than the gross. The solution was to
change over to complete automatic vending
machine service for candy, cigarets, mints
and drinks.
CONVENTIONAL THEATRE owners who
have tried them out believe that other indoor
operators are missing a bet if they
do not serve snow cones. The "drip" problem
is easily solved with a small straw, and
there is a terrific profit in a six-oz, cone
for ten cents.
THE MAJORITY of theatres are selling
potato chips, for which there is a tremendous
demand, and have found that they
do not cut into the sale of popcorn but do
help the sale of drinks.
ONE CONCESSIONAIRE has reported that
he finds a prepared chili sauce added to a
hot dog adds five cents to his unit sales
and is cheaper than furnishing mustard,
catsup and other condiments.
CONCESSIONS IN any theatre have become
an important factor in the com-
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24 The MODERN THEATRE SECTION