Many cinema-goers find movie theater popcorn outrageously expensive. Movie theater concession stands are huge revenue generators by selling popcorn, sodas, and snacks at excessively high prices. Although prices for popcorn and candy bars vary from theater to theater, commonly, they all sell them at a high price.
Well, there is a reason why popcorn is being sold at such a ridiculously high price. Despite the excessive price, moviegoers buy snacks from concession stands as many popular theater chains stop viewers from bringing in food and snacks.
How Much Does Movie Theater Popcorn Cost?
On average, concession stands sell popcorn for $8, sodas for $6, and candy bars for $5. Since moviegoers are left with no substitute, they have to buy snacks from movie theater concession stands at grossly excessive costs.
Depending on different factors like region, theater size, and others, the prices for popcorn start as low as $0.99 and go up to $13.75.
At popular movie theaters, a moviegoer would be paying $8 for a medium-sized bag of popcorn. Often, the cost of movie theater popcorn is roughly the same as the movie ticket.
A bucket of popcorn sold at the movie theater for $8 can be bought from the local store for $1.69. Comparably, movie theater popcorn is being sold at the highest markups, close to 700% to 800%.
Cost of Different Sizes and Flavors of Popcorn
Often, the prices are so ridiculously high that an ounce of popcorn costs more than filet mignon at a nice restaurant.
After researching concession prices of popular movie theaters, here is what you can expect for small, medium, large, and flavored popcorn.
Popcorn (Small) – For a small-sized bucket of popcorn, the price ranges between $6 to $7. On average, a person may have to pay $6.50 for a small-sized popcorn bag.
Popcorn (Medium) – Medium-sized popcorn bucket costs between $7 to $8.
Popcorn (Large) – The cost of a large bucket of popcorn starts as low as $8 to $9. A person will have to pay an additional $0.49 for added flavor.
Caramel Popcorn – Caramel popcorn is a go-to choice for moviegoers. You will be paying more or less $6.50 for this bag of delight.
Zebra Popcorn – Zebra popcorn is a bit more expensive than caramel ones, costing about $7.5.
Cheetos Popcorn – Cheetos popcorn costs more or less $7.
In addition, various candy bars cost between $3.99 to $4.49. Plus, the price of snacks ranges from $4 to $8. Soft drinks cost from $3 to $7.5 or more depending on what you ordered and the size.
With the rise in ticket prices and concessions, people are reluctant to watch movies at the theater and opt for OTT platforms instead.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
How Much is Popcorn For Movies?
For small, medium, and large buckets of popcorn, the moviegoer has to pay $6 to $9. The prices vary for flavored popcorn, popular flavors are sold at a higher price. Moreover, the concession prices at the standard movie theater are generally lower than premium film formats.
How Much Profit Do Cinemas Make on Popcorn?
Movie theaters rely heavily on the profit from the sale of popcorn and snacks. Hefty concession profit is the lifeblood of their business model, therefore, snacks are sold at an expensive price. Generally, cinemas make about 85% profit on a box of popcorn.
Conclusion
To sum up, movie theater owners do not make much on the sale of the movie ticket as a huge percentage of the ticket price goes to the movie distributors. It is the main reason why movie theaters sell popcorn at a higher price.
Cian has 7 years of experience in the musical instruments industry. His press and research articles are published in many well-known journals. Cian is part of our product testing team so he knows the criteria for the best products. Here at sound keen cian covers how to set up instruments and selection criteria for new products.