Prices of snacks at the cinema

[Moominfan]

Doesn't matter how often I go, I don't think I'll never not be shocked at the prices. My friend pointed out today if they charged a little less maybe more people would buy from them. Instead of being a cheapskate like me that brings their own snacks.

Our local odeon lets you take your own food it as long as it's not hot.

It's battling empty seats as the independent competition is pretty fierce.

I can't fathom how they make a profit from silver surfer seats. Ours is £1.75 and includes a decent coffee and a biscuit as well as the film.

Soo envious of all of you with independent cinemas. There's sadly nothing like that near me.

Like some of you I am fortunate enough to have an independent cinema and will buy a coffee and/or snacks. On the occasions I have gone to mainstream/multiplex cinemas (usually the London Film Festival), I have noticed the high prices too.

I suppose as our cinema is a small-town place in a chain (but not a Vue or odeon etc) that charges £7 for a regular ticket and £8 for 3D ticket it's not so bad so buy the snacks. Plus the snacks are reasonably priced - last week my friend and I bought a large Pepsi Max, a bottle of oasis, a giant popcorn and a bag of minstrels between us and it was less than £10 total. I'm quite shocked at the prices of tickets some of you face

Plenty of people do pay the prices though, or else they would be lower (based on the law of supply and demand). They’re obviously set as to optimise their profit, so the “if they were cheaper, more people would by them”, line, means that yes, more people would by them, but their overall profit would drop.

My local cinema actually doesn't sell any refreshments so if you want something they ask you to bring it with you.

Shuckle It costs £18/£19 to watch an IMAX film where I live and over £14 for a 3D film.

Vue is pretty good.......ours does a snack tray which includes a drink, popcorn and chocolate bar for £4. With entry and snacks it costs £18 for DS and I which I think is fair.

We've also got an art deco cinema locally .......complete with velvet curtains and interval with ice cream sellers.

Tickets are a little more than Vue which charge £5. ......think the art deco one charges a pound more but it's worth it. Last time I went they paused the film a little longer so my tea could brew properly.

@charm8ed woah! That's mad. I'm not even sure IMAX exists in our little corner of the world yet

I eat all my sweets during the 20 minutes of commercials and trailers. I've finished rustling and chomping by the time the film starts.

My local cinema I can usually go for about £5 so I often do buy a drink and sweets to help keep it running! If it cost £10 to go I might take my own....

To the person saying that once upon a time the only snacks in the cinema were sold by the choc ice lady - at that time most cinemas also had bars and sales from there would have subsidised the ticket price. They also sold fancy little boxes of chocolates at ungodly prices.
The choc ice lady also sold cigarettes as all cinemas allowed smoking (most didn’t even introduce a non smoking section until the seventies ilrc). I would much rather sit in a cinema surrounded by people eating the smelliest of snacks than surrounded by people smoking.

I worked at a cinema and YES, it is SO expensive. Trust me, those behind the tills wish it was all cheaper. Best thing is, on barely minimum wage, I couldn't even afford to buy the food and drink at the cinema unless using staff discount (even then it was still hugely over priced) so I'd usually bring my own snacks.

We used to buy bars of pink and white nougat, wrapped in rice paper, from the kiosk at the cinema when I was a child.

It is annoying but hasn’t it always been that way? I remember as a kid we’d buy our own snacks because the cinema stuff was so pricey even then. It’s just one of those captive audience things, people will and do buy it so they have no incentive to lower prices. I also remember I once heard that cinemas make most of their profits from the sale of their food, which is why the mark up is so high.

. I would much rather sit in a cinema surrounded by people eating the smelliest of snacks than surrounded by people smoking.

^^ this! I remember having a smoking room at work 🤢

Round here we have Flicks in the Sticks, no one dreams of eating or drinking during the film, , there is a proper interval where you get a cup of tea or coffee (50p - & a biscuit ), tickets are £4 plus 50p raffle & you know everyone else so is a lovely community feel.

Only bring my own snacks if I don't like the options. I usually get the tickets that come with the snack anyway, it's only an extra fiver, and then the snacks in the upstairs bar are better and quite affordable.

I always smuggle the snacks in my oversized handbag!! I really don't understand why anyone pays fortune for same thing in cinema.
Even when watching films at home with kids I just cook the popcorn on frying pan myself, they love watching it pop. Ok, maybe Im really tight!!!!😊

It is annoying but hasn’t it always been that way?

No, not before the multiplexes arrived. Our local cinema used to have an intermission when you could buy ice creams - this was in the late 80s.

@shearwater ok, well at least the last 20 years in my experience

I remember my Mum giving us some money for a pick a mix in Woolworths because cinema snacks were expensive, that was in the 70’s and early 80’s.

The popcorn at our local Odeon taste like card board. Will not buy that again

My local cinema refused to allow me to pay for my small popcorn using a £50 note - I had to give them 2 x £20 and 1 x £10