Cinema Sweet Prices Rip Off

Honeydog

Comparing pub prices with cinema sweets prices doesn't work. There are loads of pubs. You can choose which one you go to and what you eat. Cinemas sell a limited amount of stuff at extortionate prices. In any town you choose to name there will be 1 multiplex if you're lucky and maybe a 100 pubs.

Your comparison doesn't make cinemas seem cheap to me.

There's no excuse for it.

True moneysavers take their own sweets to the flicks!

andyrules

Honeydog wrote: »

Comparing pub prices with cinema sweets prices doesn't work. There are loads of pubs. You can choose which one you go to and what you eat. Cinemas sell a limited amount of stuff at extortionate prices. In any town you choose to name there will be 1 multiplex if you're lucky and maybe a 100 pubs.

Your comparison doesn't make cinemas seem cheap to me.

There's no excuse for it.

True moneysavers take their own sweets to the flicks!

Absolutely.

In fact comparing the price of a meal in some of the pub chains could in fact make the price of cinema confectionery seem more extortionate - eg £3.50 for a roast dinner seems much better value than the popcorn sold at not much less.

We always take our own sweets - discreetly, and purchased from Netto!

SweetPea73

I managed to sneak in sweets two weeks ago, I did buy a bottle of water though, at christmas my hubby and i went to Tesco first and bought '2 tins for 8 quid' , we had a tin of Cadburys roses and a tin of Terrys segments, and we scoffed away....

I feel like a naughty school girl but the prices are just too high.

sw

JohnG

I'm convinced that if Cinemas lowered their confectionary prices significantly it would have a positive effect on their overall sales and therefore, their profits.

The problem they would have to overcome is the deep and widely held belief that the prices are always very high so they would have to clearly and aggressively promote the lower prices both at the cinema, press and internet etc.

It would also take a while for the word to get about and for people to change their beliefs and habits (ie taking their own sweets and drinks) so it would be shortsighted to carry it out on a short/trial basis.

bestyman

TOP TIP

If the cinema has a sign saying that you cannot eat your own food, simply swop your sweets with someone else.

Bamber19

JohnG wrote: »

I'm convinced that if Cinemas lowered their confectionary prices significantly it would have a positive effect on their overall sales and therefore, their profits.

Look at Member 02's example though, if they were to charge the same as a supermarket they'd be making 10p per sale as opposed to £2.25.

In order to make the same level of profit they need to make 22.5 sales at the cheaper price suggested for every 1 sale they make just now. I'm not convinced they could achieve that level of sales bearing in mind a lot of people go to the cinema with no intention of eating anything (it's very easy to not have a snack for 1.5-2.5 hours.) but regardless of the high price there will always be someone willing to pay.

uktim29

JohnG wrote: »

I'm convinced that if Cinemas lowered their confectionary prices significantly it would have a positive effect on their overall sales and therefore, their profit.

Doesn't work, see my above post!

Honeydog wrote: »

There's no excuse for it

Yes there is, you can't have a business that doesn't make any money!

I'm comparing pub profit margins with cinemas rather than choice of both. Catering often has an 80% profit margin, the cinemas will actually be less. Personally I don't think you can compare buying uncooked popcorn from a supermarket with that of cooked popcorn from a cinema.

taxiphil

uktim29, I do take your point about why they do it - selling a few items at a huge profit can sometimes result in a higher overall profit than selling a lot of items at a small profit (particularly in the 'monopoly' situation that a cinema has).

But I think it's more complex than the straightforward economics.

In America, for example, they don't engage in exorbitant pricing models, simply because it upsets and angers customers. There is something in the whole mentality of the business-customer relationship that's different. Monopoly situations are not abused to ridiculous levels by businesses.

Over here, businesses treat customers with utter contempt. We are just their cash cows, to be milked dry at every opportunity. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't have a problem with businesses wanting to be successful and make a good profit, but in America there is a certain fear and respect shown towards customers.

They are simply too scared to take the p*ss out of their customers - it's as simple as that.

I can't explain this phenomenon, but it exists.

uktim29 wrote: »

Your also the person who said this is another example of "rip-off Britain", well all cinemas are exactly the same in every other country!

Again, while I haven't carried out wide-ranging scientific studies into cinema prices across the world, my own (admittedly limited) experiences don't bear this out.

At a cinema in Berlin last year (a posh state-of-the-art one which puts ours to shame, I should add) a machine in the foyer was selling 500ml bottles of Coke, Fanta, etc for 1 Euro (75p). Massively cheaper than what you could get the same drink for in a cinema here. It was the same price at the railway stations and airport that I used in Germany.

In fact the Burger King in Berlin Schonefeld airport even had a 1 Euro Menu for burgers, fries and drinks. You'd pay about 6 quid in a UK airport for three items that cost £2.25 over there.

uktim29

taxiphil wrote: »

In America, for example, they don't engage in exorbitant pricing models, simply because it upsets and angers customers. There is something in the whole mentality of the business-customer relationship that's different. Monopoly situations are not abused to ridiculous levels by businesses.

but in America there is a certain fear and respect shown towards customers.

They are simply too scared to take the p*ss out of their customers - it's as simple as that.

Well why then are US consumers putting up with electricity that costs double ours, bread prices up to £2 a loaf, lager double our price and have to pay to have a bank account. This is all from the link you posted.

I think it's assumed consumers from any other country other than the UK won't put up with this, that, the other but I think it's just another case of UK consumers thinking the grass is greener on the other side.

yeslek

Honeydog wrote: »

I accept that you have a right to your own opinion yeslek and you obviously have high personal standards. But this website is

www.moneySAVINGexpert.com

and not

www.moneySPENDINGexpert.com

point being?

if your that fussed about SAVING then dont take in ANY sweets and you save even more money :rolleyes:

calleyw wrote: »

Granted it is rip off. But what I don't understand is why can't people can't manage not to eat or drink for an couple of hours.

indeed