The Exhibitor (1952)

EP-10 EXTRA PROFITS ’We Cannot Go Backwards Koken (Lee Koken, RKO Theatres’ executive, recently addressed a general meeting and breakfast held by the ABC Vending Cor¬ poration for candy stand sales personnel, supervisors, and home office operating executives in New York City. The high¬ lights of his address follow. — Ed.) Some of the oldtimers in this room will remember when the candy stand in a theatre was sort of a step-child. It was something the theatre management put up with, but didn’t take much personal interest in. I think you and your com¬ pany can be proud of the progress made since those days. The concession business has grown up, has come of age, and rightfully so. In fact, today it is an im¬ portant part of every theatre and its oper¬ ation. In over 80 per cent of RKO theatres from coast to coast, new elaborate stands have been built, practically miniature stores, not only selling candy, but nuts, potato chips, popcorn, ice cream, cigar¬ ettes, and many other items including novelties. You, too, have grown up. You are no longer candy stand attendants, you are salesladies and salesmen. Tins is progress. We cannot go back¬ ward, we must go forward, and go for¬ ward together, your company and ours. That calls for cooperation. At every meet¬ ing with theatre managers, my office Dave Boger, Lancaster, O., operates the conces¬ sion at the Skyview Croise-ln, Lancaster, which is owned by Carlos Crum, and seen here is Boger standing next to the Manley Aristocrat. He re¬ cently made a record for the machine's operation at the spot by popping, boxing, and selling 250 10-cent boxes of popcorn within 31 minutes, using a 16-ounce kettle instead of the 12-ounce. He has been getting $161 average per 100 pounds of corn with the Manley machine. always stresses cooperation between our theatre management and you, the sales¬ persons at stands. We sincerely hope that this is being accomplished. Some of you may wonder why, while working for ABC, you still come under the super¬ vision of the theatre manager. First of all, your business is a business within a busi¬ ness. It is located on, and within, the prop FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON PRODUCTS ADVERTISED IN HUS ISSUE PLEASE CHECK CANADA DRY GINGER ALE, INC. □ Soft Drinks THE COCA-COLA CO. □ Soft Drinks PEPSI-COLA CO. □ Soft Drinks C. F. SIMONIN'S SONS, INC. □ Popsit Plus Popcorn Popping Oils SPORTSERVICE, INC. □ Concession Service WM. WRIGLEY, JR., CO. □ Chewing Gum WITHOUT CHARGE OR OBLIGATION PLEASE SEND ME ADDITIONAL INFOR¬ MATION ON ABOVE CHECKED ITEMS. NAME . THEATRE . ADDRESS . CITY, STATE . RETURN TO EXHIBITOR 246-48 N. CLARION ST., PHILADELPHIA 7, PA. erty of another company. You are con¬ ducting that business, and selling to a “captive clientele”. Those customers, when they bought a ticket at the boxoffice, did not buy a ticket to come in and purchase candy. They bought a ticket to see and enjoy the show. The candy stand is in the theatre as an extra service to patrons, to make it handy for them, once inside the theatre, to purchase something to much on while enjoying the show; to sell them something to make their visit to the movies more enjoyable. Nothing should be done to antagonize a patron, whether it be by the theatre, its personnel, or by the sales person at the candy stand. A theatre patron should always be given courteous service. If a patron is antagonized at the candy stand, it is possible to lose that person as a patron to the theatre, and, when the theatre loses a patron, you lose a cus¬ tomer, too. That is why the theatre man¬ ager supervises the stand and you, as well as his theatre and his employes. Remem¬ ber, always be courteous to the theatre patrons because they are your customers also. And, to repeat: when the theatre loses a customer, you lose a sale. Courtesy isn’t the only requisite for good salesmanship. A warm, friendly smile and a friendly tone of voice will definitely help. In addition to these personal quali¬ ties and attitude, you must have the material help. You must have a clean and neat stand. You must have a fullystocked stand with a wide variety of merchandise, properly displayed. To be a better saleslady or salesman, you should make suggestions to your customers. Sell them something more than he or she in¬ tended to buy. To be successful in making extra sales, be sure to be courteous, have a pleasant smile and voice, plus clean housekeeping and a full stock and wide variety of merchandise. Hershey Profit Down Hershey, Pa. — It was learned last fort¬ night that Hershey Chocolate Corporation showed a net profit of $9,131,360, or $3.73 per share, last year. This compares with $13,596,492, or $5.46 per share, in 1950. is realty Like everybody else, he's kept an anxious eye on his boxoffice. No time lost on tears for him, though. He's found a way to make up for it — by getting more profit from his popcorn sales! He's learned Popsit-Plus gives him many more boxes per batch; fewer duds, less waste. He's found that Popsit-Plus' butterlike flavor and aroma stops 'em, sells 'em . . . easier and faster. More, better, and more profitable pop¬ corn doesn't answer all his problems . . . but it sure does put a "silver lining" in those clouds! On'Y o* o\v Pipi Blta Mode by C. F. SilDOOill’S Sods, Inc. Philo. EXHIBITOR May 7. 1952