Welcome to BigScreenBiz.com

How has everyone done this quarter? I am down 15% from last year. I thought we we're going good but the numbers don't lie. Last year Wild Hogs made a huge difference in March. Thank

Thanks to Rentraks website, I track about 14 theaters including myself. The entire group is up over 6% YTD. The 3 megaplexes (8-14 screens) are up 6%-11%. Those 3 account for 2/3rds of the revenue. Only 4 of the 14 were down with the worst being -13%.

So I would say in my area, things are pretty good despite recent poor weeks vs. last year.

(BTW, these are just ticket sales)


[This message has been edited by rufusjack (edited March 29, 2008).]

I'm up 23% over the same period last year.

44 % over last year for the first quarter.

OK,now I'm on the verge of depression.My films have been mostly #1 thru #5's we have 3 screens.We charge 5.00 for seniors and children and all matinee's,7.00 for adults.our nearest competitor(20 miles) is a multi-plex that charges 7.75 and 6.00. We advertise in 3 local papers.Am I missing something? I know our customers like our place,they are always telling us that they do.Any advice would be heartfully welcomed. Thanks

I wouldn't beat myself up about it too much. Look at it like an expensive lesson learned. Some movies just don't grab specific audiences like they do nationally. The trick is to find what your customers are looking for and then promote the hell out of them.

BTW, up 17% from last year (but last year sucked for me). I'm just ahead of my 2006 1Q

Sheri, You guys haven't been open long enough to get too excited about this yet. Last year during the first quarter you were still in your "honeymoon period" of being a brand new theatre and people were coming to your place because it was new. You are right about Wild Hogs. Our March will be down over last year because of this one picture but our January and February were up over last year. One big picture can really throw your numbers off from one year to the next and you just can't get too excited about it. I don't know what your projections were when you opened but you've got three screens in a town of 2000-3000 people so you really can't expect huge grosses all the time. Those 18 screens 20 miles away from you are a big draw to the area kids especially with the mall right close by. Only being 75 cents cheaper may not help keep them from driving to see a movie you don't have and getting people to drive up from the city may be even harder.
As soon as the weather warms up look for things to get even slower until the summer product starts to come in May. Hope to see you at the regional NATO meeting in a couple weeks and we can visit further.

sheri--I am a firm believer that you should be closer in price to the plex. 7.50 AND 5.75 sounds about a good price.

You are not gaining any patrons by the lower price you are just loosing revenue..This thinking does not apply to 2nd run theaters.

I agree with slap...UNLESS, in your customers opinion, what you have to offer is of less value than the competition. Seats, aud size, ambience even. But if all things are equal (or even better you have an edge), when gas is $3/gallon+, you could be the same price or even more. Convenience and price.

don't let anybody tell you what to charge. You charge what you think is best. period. I know I would lose business if I increased my prices that much but that's my circumstance. Yours may be totally different.

No one is TELLING anyone what to charge they are JUST different points of view... if all your competition is at one price it means the market CAN support that ticket pricE.

Indie theaters seem to think they have to charge less.. Some theaters dont care about making money then it does not matter.

Now if you have a crap house and they are first rate thats a different story.Your price better be less...

aw c'mon you quoted a price.

One of the major ways that independents can compete with the multiplexes is on price. Invariably the overhead of an independent is less and we can then use that price advantage as a selling point. The trick is to get them in the door so that they can see that they are getting an equal or greater value for their hard earned dollars.

I think 4th Gen's point is the most important. After you first open there is going to be some volatility in your numbers. I have a hard time getting the teens to come in too. After they spend all week in this little town they are itching to leave on the weekends and it doesn't seem to matter that the competition charges almost twice as much.

aw come on--Your giving your opinion ....

There is nothing nobel in the indie theater charges less and cant make there bills..

A foolish mistake some theaters make ..Again this does not apply to 2nd run houses.

My 1st thought of a cheap 1st run house is ..Oh God whats wrong with this place...

and that's your opinion.....

A friend who has a small rstaurant just told me his cooking gas went up 7,000.00 in one year. Bottom line: he can either eat it or increase something and knowing my friend he'd much rather that I and the rest of his patrons eat it than he should.

Wehave a movie theatre, it's only income is tickets, screen ads, the occasional private rental, and concessions. Everything else is a debit. Everything else costs. And it's all going up: heat, lights, film transport, health care, tax, minimum wage, etc. For a very short time I can eat it and did that. No more. We are raising prices so that our customers pay for our operation and our profits. If they stop coming then we'll cross that road. But now: if I have to choose eating it or sharing the pain: it's not a choice I can afford anymore.

---

Michael Hurley
Impresario