A pair of independent theaters in the United States are implementing this pandemic-era innovation into their long-term F&B strategy, selling their own brand of gourmet popcorn outside their theaters through a direct-to-consumer (DTC) model. It’s not just AMC that’s taking note of popcorn’s potential outside the concessions stand. In the company’s announcement, AMC CEO Adam Aron called this expansion “so natural and logical, one wonders why the idea has not been tried before.” The executive believes its retail strategy will play an important part of the circuit’s post-pandemic diversification, citing consumers’ strong association of popcorn with the moviegoing experience. AMC plans to expand this strategy into 2023 with the introduction of its own microwavable popcorn brand to be sold at supermarkets. These locations will be stocked with freshly made popcorn-both traditional and flavored varieties-as well as candy, soda, and other movie theater snacks. The circuit plans to introduce 15 AMC Theatres Perfectly Popcorn retail locations in the United States by the end of the year. The most prominent player to have stayed the course is AMC Theatres, the country’s largest cinema circuit, which announced in November 2021 its intention to enter the retail popcorn space as part of its long-term strategy. These innovations were gradually phased out as restrictions lifted. Exhibitors of all sizes went from selling jumbo bags of popcorn out of their parking lots to partnering with delivery apps like Uber Eats and Grubhub to sell entire concessions combo packages direct to consumers. Covid-19 closures forced theaters around the world to improvise new revenue streams, driving some cinema operators to innovate their food and beverage (F&B) strategies by bringing the concessions stand out of the lobby and into moviegoers’ homes.
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