The point is, my husband and I would be happy to take our kids to the movies every weekend into perpetuity, purchasing popcorn and Sno-caps and Icees that, left to our own devices, we would never, ever buy.
The fact that concession sales were proportionately higher during low-attendance periods suggested the presence of "die-hard" moviegoers willing to see any kind of film, good or bad and willing to purchase high-priced popcorn to boot.
Going to the movies is much more appealing to kids than watching a video because there is a certain amount of ritual involved--the tickets, the escalator, the purchase of the popcorn, the seats that flip up and down, the hushed semi-darkness that fades to black, the exit signs.
But if the US were to start imposing tariffs on goods that are imported or exported to Mexico and Canada, we might lose Mexico's business when it comes to popcorn purchases.
Instead of keeping chips in the house, consider purchasing raw, unpopped popcorn and air pop a few cups to keep as a snack.
A nearby sign claimed I could purchase tickets from the popcorn counter instead, so I rode the escalator to the brighty-coloured ripoff desk, where another lone staff member had been sentenced to life imprisonment.
Yes, you can drink martinis while watching "Skyfall". It offers a Crybaby Matinee (children younger than 5 are free) and Baby Boomer Thursday (the over-55 set gets a $7 flick and free popcorn with purchase of a fountain drink).
-- at even a tiny fraction of these prices you could require every renter to effectively purchase tickets and virtual popcorn and the closest cinema running the movie, or more simply pay them whatever profit they might lose.
Instead, if they were to purchase $30 worth of popcorn each month for two years, they'd spend $720 without losing their appetite for the product.
Shopping malls don't have clocks to make sure you are not reminded that you need to leave; fast food restaurants offer "Extra Value Meals" that actually aren't any less expensive than buying the items individually, and movie theatres use price framing to entice you into purchasing the medium size popcorn even though it is more than you want to eat.
