Please or to access all these features

Add post

Watch this thread

Save thread

Start a new thread

Flip thread

Hide thread

My feed

Active Unanswered threads

Getting started FAQ's

Unanswered threads Acronyms Talk guidelines

Hide shortcut buttons

Talk

AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Flip

1 2 3

Original poster

To wonder how large cinema chains get away with it?

75 replies

Orangeanddemons · 12/04/2015 17:27

The cost. The cost is outrageous. It has just cost me £15.00 for one adult and one child. Said child wanted some popcorn. I never ever usually buy stuff as it costs so much but let her have the kids deal for £3:25. But there was a Fuit Shoot for £2:20. I shit you not. a Fruit Shoot.

We have o independent cinema near me. So I paid nigh on £20.00 for a mediocre film in a small pokey cinema. All the way through the film, I kept going on about the cost of that Fruit Shoot.

How do they get away with charging so much? How can I complain?

OP posts:

Cantbelievethisishappening · 12/04/2015 17:29

YANBU
Perhaps contact the management to hear their explanation, I know that cinemas charge crazy prices for food and drink as they generally make a loss on the films alone.

ThinkIveBeenHacked · 12/04/2015 17:30

Because the cost to the cinema of showing the film is so incredibly high that even at £10 a ticket, they are making literally pennies in profit.

They have to make additional revenue somewhere, and that is the food and drink. You can opt not to buy their refreshments. You can complain. Nothing will change. They are a business which needs to turn a profit and they will never be able to do that from ticket sales alone.

AgentProvocateur · 12/04/2015 17:31

You can't complain. They didn't force you to buy it. You chose to. They can charge whatever the hell they want.

Sirzy · 12/04/2015 17:33

They are a business who need to make money.

I rarely go to full price films, I only ever go to the cinema with DS and generally we do the kids AM type showings. When we go to new films it's a rare treat so I don't mind paying.

SaucyJack · 12/04/2015 17:33

YANBU.

And IMO, they wouldn't make a loss on the film showing if the tickets weren't so ridiculously expensive.

We went to see the new Cinderella the week it came out in a big city centre cinema. There were about twenty people in there. Roughly 90% of the seats were empty.

Altinkum · 12/04/2015 17:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

londonrach · 12/04/2015 17:34

I dont think cinema chains make money on the film but on the popcorn etc. sadly i havent been to the cinema for 10 plus years i think whenever the first harry potter came out. It was just too noisy. That time i even took drinks etc in... I think some cinemas do special children showings which are cheaper..

Ragwort · 12/04/2015 17:35

You chose to buy the popcorn and fruit shoot, no one forced you to.

I haven't been to the cinema for years - perhaps I am a skinflint but I prefer to rent a DVD from the library and buy my own snacks. .

AuntyMag10 · 12/04/2015 17:35

Lol at contacting management to hear their explanation.
It's a choice, you don't need to go to the movies.

Littlemonstersrule · 12/04/2015 17:35

Refreshments are expensive as they don't make much on tickets, if they don't make a profit then cinemas wouldn't exist.

Cookiecake · 12/04/2015 17:35

I think it is ridiculous price, however the other day when we left the cinema there was rubbish everywhere. I guess that they have to factor in the cost of cleaning up as well into the cost of the food. Tbh I was quite disgusted at the mess, I usually put mine in the bin but I think left neatly is ok. Stuff was just all over though so would take someone some time to clean and also the wear that then has on the cinema.

GladysTheGolem · 12/04/2015 17:35

I used to work at a cineworld branch, central London.

If we didn't charge stupid prices for food and drink, they couldn't afford to open.

I just use it as an excuse to have the occasional ice cream, supporting minimum wage workers and all that

BackforGood · 12/04/2015 17:36

I agree with you it's an extortionate cost. However, on the rare occasions I drop one of my dc off at out local multiplex, it is always packed full - so, like any business, it pitches it's prices at a level where it gets the best return from selling what it's selling.
It's not like the cinema is a "right" or something you "need" - say like school uniform or decent shoes for your dc. Then you would have a reason to complain.

Sparklingbrook · 12/04/2015 17:36

Going to the cinema is ££££s and IMO best avoided at all costs.

OrlandoWoolf · 12/04/2015 17:37

Because people pay. I think it's ridiculous but it's the price the market can stand.

I suspect that if things were cheaper, they'd sell more and make more profit. But that's the price they set.

And don't get me started on the ridiculous size.

Birdsgottafly · 12/04/2015 17:37

Also, there's lots of threads on here about the fun being sucked out of treat days out, by parents (either themselves, partners or GPs ), because they go on about the cost.

This includes the cost of food and drink.

Days out can be expensive, but decide before you go, if your willing to spend that much.

It was a shame that you didn't enjoy the day, just because of the cost and went on about it, did you spoil it for people sitting around you, as well?

catgirl1976 · 12/04/2015 17:38

Our local Odeon has just dropped all the ticket prices to £5 which is great.

But the food and drink is still insanely priced. I guess this is where they make their money.

They've also got rid of all the staff selling tickets - there is just a machine now so I assume there have been job losses.

Marmaladedandelions · 12/04/2015 17:42

Did you actually BUY the fruit shoot?

Out local cinema is next to an asda

Groovee · 12/04/2015 17:43

The money from the film goes towards the film's profits. The cinema makes money from the sale of food.

Moresproutsplease · 12/04/2015 17:43

If cinemas reduced their prices (tickets and snacks) to realistic levels, more people would go surely - and the cinema would make more money in the end.

Then everyone would be happy. At the moment the cost is out of each for a lot of us.

Having said that, our local theatre shows a film once a month, charges very little (around £3 for adults) and best of all, shows no adverts. The theatre is always full and has a lovely atmosphere.

CPtart · 12/04/2015 17:44

I didn't think many people bought snacks in the cinema anymore. I've noticed I'm certainly not the only one to carry in a rucksack stuffed with cheap goodies from the local supermarket.

ScorpioMermaid · 12/04/2015 17:44

My DH took me to London for my birthday Nov '13 and we wanted to go to the fancy odeon in Leicester Square where they have the premieres (sp) it cost us Â£18 EACH for a ticket and by the time we had got drinks and popcorn.. I kid you not we just about got change out of Â£60. The leg room was horrendously non existent too

Sallystyle · 12/04/2015 17:45

We went yesterday. For 8 of us it cost £60 for tickets! We rarely go but it was the only thing they really wanted to do over Easter.

shewept · 12/04/2015 17:45

Yes please do contact the management for an explanation. I really want to hear it. Since the response will be...we are a business. Cinemas don't make much on the films. They make money on what they sell in food and drinks. Its up to you whether you buy it or not. Cinema is always a planned treat. Me and dh went yesterday, didn't get snacks or drinks. Didn't effect the viewing experience.

I have even taken my kids.....and not bought them snacks in there. Its not unheard of for kids to be told no, its completely up to whether you spend money there or not. If everyone stopped buying stuff they would look at the prices, but while people like the OP continue to buy it they won't.

MsJupiter · 12/04/2015 17:45

It's not exactly true that the films don't make any money for the cinemas, the distributor takes a % - these have been pushed higher and higher recently so exhibitors are being squeezed but they will still usually retain at least 40% of the ticket price.

The overheads of running a cinema are quite high so it is an expensive business. The prices of popcorn etc in the multiplexes are crazy though. We charge £1.50 - £3.50 and have lots of pocket money options while still making a small profit.

Flip

1 2 3