The ticket cost $12, my popcorn was $8, the candy was $4.50, and my soda was $6.

電影票要 12 美元、爆米花 8 美元、糖果 4.50 美元，加上汽水 6 美元 。

That's over $30 for just one person.

這樣一個人就超過 30 美元。

Movie theaters are like theme parks or carnivals.

電影院就像主題公園或是嘉年華。

Once inside, you play by their rules.

一旦進去，就得照他們的規則走。

And if you're like me, you spend way more than you expect to.

如果你像我一樣，你花的錢會遠比預期得多。

AMC isn't really selling you a movie ticket.

AMC 並不只是賣你電影票。

They're selling you this food.

他們是在賣你食物。

You can't get in here without spending money.

你沒花錢就進不來這裡。

It all starts with the ticket.

一切都從電影票開始。

You might have heard that movie-ticket prices keep climbing, averaging over $9 nationwide, and almost twice that in big cities.

你可能聽說過電影票一直漲價，全國平均價格超過 9 美元，在大城市的價格更是接近 18 美元 。

Going to see a movie means you have to spend at least the cost of admission.

去看電影就代表你至少要付入場費。

But if you think that money is going to the theater, you're wrong.

但如果你認為帶那些錢能夠進到電影院，那你就錯了。

Chains like Regal and AMC keep only about 50% of the money they take from ticket sales each year.

Regal 和 AMC 等連鎖電影院每年只有 50% 的收益是來自銷售電影票。

The bulk of that ticket price goes back to the distributor.

大部分的票價都會回到經銷商手上。

And if you want to see higher-quality format, you have to pay a huge premium.

如果你想看更高規格模式的電影，你就必須花更多錢。

But it doesn't really matter how much your ticket costs, because if you're going to a movie theater, chances are you're buying some food.

但其實你的電影票多少錢一點都不重要，因為如果你要去電影院，你很有可能會買一些食物。

AMC reports that more than 71% of attendees purchase something at concessions.

AMC 指出，超過 71% 的客人會在販賣部買食物。

If they did not have concessions, they wouldn't be in business.

如果他們沒有販賣部，他們就做不了生意。

That's Kim Moon; she's a marketing instructor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

這是 Kim Moon，她是伊利諾大學芝加哥分校的行銷講師。

And she's right.

她說得對。

Without concession sales, both AMC and Regal would not make a profit.

沒有販賣部的銷售，AMC 和 Regal 就沒辦法賺錢。

So, when you walk into a theater, you will see tons and tons of imagery, as it relates to food and beverage.

你一走進電影院時，你會看到大量與食物、飲料有關的圖片。

Most movie theaters are designed so you have to walk past the concession counter.

多數的電影院都有設計過，讓你一定會經過販賣部。

The actual movies are tucked away down long, dark hallways.

實際的電影廳都隱藏在狹長又昏暗的走廊中。

But as soon as you get inside the theater, the food is bright, colorful, and, thanks to the glass case, visible at every angle.

只要你一走進電影院內，因為有玻璃櫃，每個角度都看得見食物在閃閃發光、秀色可餐的樣子。

You can see popcorn popping, stacks of candy, and giant soda machines.

你可以看到在蹦出的爆米花、一堆糖果和大型的汽水機。

The big, huge boxes serve, sort of, like, a billboard effect.

使用大型、巨大的盒子裝有點像廣告版效應。

They're enormous and... and, so, calling out to you more than an appropriately-sized box.

他們很巨大，在呼喚你的不只是一個大小正常的盒子。

When you open it up, though, it's about the same amount of candy in there as a small box that you might find at the drugstore.

當你打開後，會發現裡面的量就和你在雜貨店買到的小盒糖果一樣。

All of this is surrounded by TV screens that loop beautiful shots of soda and popcorn.

所有東西都被電視螢幕環繞著，不斷重複播放汽水和爆米花的美味照片。

Food is constantly grabbing your attention.

食物會不斷吸引你的注意力。

Unlike a restaurant, where the food is prepared out of view, a movie theater makes everything right in front of you.

不像餐廳的食物都是在視線外準備好，電影院會把所有東西擺在你眼前。

Visually taking over the space, they also are physically taking over the space; it's really hard to get around it.

視覺會掌管整個空間，他們實際上也掌管整個空間，所以很難在裡面四處走動。

You kind of have to stop, figure out where you're going, and, in the process, you're being exposed to all that stimulation.

你在找個地方停下來，想想該去哪裡的過程中，就會接觸到這些食物的刺激。

We're queuing people, psychologically, to want something.

從心理學上來說，人在排隊時會想要某些東西。

And then there is the smell.

然後就會聞到味道。

Ugh, that heavenly smell!

味道超級香的！

Ingrained in every moviegoer's brain is the smell of buttery popcorn.

每個電影觀眾的腦中都是奶油爆米花的味道。

This smell gets your attention as soon as you walk in and evokes a sense of nostalgia.

你一走進電影院，這味道就會吸引你，讓你喚起一股懷舊的感覺。

You probably don't eat a tub of popcorn and a box of Buncha Crunch at home, but here, you do.

你在家可能吃不完一桶爆米花或是一盒甘脆巧克力豆，但你在這裡會吃完。

And in bigger theaters, there might even be multiple concession areas.

在更大的電影院裡，可能會有更多販賣部。

If your auditorium is on a higher floor, get ready to pass by two or three tempting displays.

如果你的電影院是在高一點的樓層，那就準備通過兩到三個誘人可口的販賣部吧。

And because no outside food or drink is allowed, if you want to eat something during your two-hour movie, you have to get it at the theater.

因為不能帶外食或飲料進去，所以如果你想在兩小時的電影中吃點東西，就必須在電影院裡買。

OK, so you want to buy just one thing, something small and cheap.

你若只想買一樣小份又低價的食物。

Well, good luck.

想都別想了。

All of the items at concessions are more expensive than what you would pay outside the theater.

販賣部的每樣食物都比在外面販售的貴上許多。

And, often, you can't even find a small size.

而且你很常會找不到小份的食物。

So you have to choose between regular and large.

你必須在標準和大份之間做選擇。

What does regular even mean?

標準份量是什麼？

The large seems like a better deal; It's only a dollar more.

大份的似乎比較划算，因為只多一塊美元。

So you may be tempted to spend a little extra.

你可能會受到誘惑而花更多錢。

And if you're going to eat all of that salty popcorn, you're probably going to get thirsty.

如果你吃完全部的鹽味爆米花，可能就會覺得口渴。

So, you'll buy a drink, too.

所以你也會多買一杯飲料。

And that's great news for the theater because all of the food sold at concessions has a huge profit margin.

這對電影院來說可是個好消息，因為販賣部賣的所有食物都有很高的淨利率。

That means they're cheap to make but are sold at a high price.

代表那些食物成本很低，但卻能以高價售出。

Remember that $8 popcorn?

還記得那 8 美元的爆米花嗎？

Theaters make a lot more on that bag of popcorn than they make on your ticket.

電影院賣爆米花賺的錢可是比賣你電影票還多。

Let me show you what I mean.

讓我告訴你是怎麼一回事。

In 2018, 62% of AMC's total revenue came from admissions, 31% was from concessions.

2018 年，AMC 的總收益有 62% 都來自入場費，31% 來自販賣部。

But AMC was able to keep almost 84% of that concession revenue as profit, compared to just under 50% that they are able to keep from admissions.

但 AMC 卻能夠將販賣部總收益的 84% 都作為利潤，相比之下，他們入場費只能保留不到 50% 的利潤。

Basically, if you spend $1 on food, AMC keeps 84¢.

基本上，如果你花一美元買食物，AMC 就會賺到 0.84 美元。

But if you spend $1 on a ticket, it keeps only 50¢.

但如果你花一美元買電影票，那他們就只能賺 0.50 美元。

So it will do whatever it can to get you to spend more money on food.

所以他們會竭盡所能讓你花更多錢在食物上。

Buy one, get one free; free upgrades; free refills; what they're doing is using price discrimination.

買一送一、免費升級、免費續杯是他們賺取價差的方式。

That means they'll offer you a greater value with a larger size.

這就代表他們會用更貴的價格提供更大的份量給你。

The margins aren't as good, but the theater is still getting more of your money.

利潤並不是很好，但電影院還是賺了你很多錢。

And movie theaters love to offer combos.

而且電影院超愛提供套餐。

Popcorn with soda, a hot dog with fries, candy and a slushy... pretty much any combination you can think of.

爆米花加汽水、熱狗加薯條、糖果加冰沙，幾乎你能想到的組合都有。

Unfortunately, those combos usually aren't a great deal.

不幸的是，那些套餐並不划算。

Unless you're sharing in a big group, you'll probably be stuck with more food than you can eat and free refills that you won't use.

除非你要和很多人共享，不然你可能要處理吃不完的食物，而且你也用不到免費續杯。

They end up wasting a lot of that popcorn, but, most importantly, they end up wasting that money.

結果就是浪費很多爆米花，而且最重要的是，浪費錢。

Many theaters have also started offering things like alcoholic beverages and full meals.

許多電影院也開始提供酒精飲料和正餐。

These might bring a better experience, but they also allow theaters to charge an even higher premium.

這或許是個不錯的體驗，但電影院也會收取更多的費用。

Like this AMC deal that offers a hot dog, curly fries, and a chocolate-chip cookie for $13.

像是 AMC 提供熱狗、卷卷薯條和巧克力餅乾套餐，一共 13 美元。

Combine all of this with bright-red colors, warm lighting on the food, and brand tie-ins, and it's tough to walk away from the counter with just one thing.

把這些亮紅色與溫暖的燈光照在食物上，加上電影周邊的結合，讓你很難在離開櫃檯時只帶走一樣食物。

But the tricks don't stop at the lobby.

但這個手法不會在大廳就結束。

Theaters list movie start times that are 15 to 20 minutes earlier than when the movie actually starts.

電影院列出的開始時間比實際電影的開始時間早了 15 - 20 分鐘左右。

This helps the theater in two ways.

這在兩方面上對電影院有助益。

It allows them to show more commercials before the trailers, which is another source of revenue, and it keeps moviegoers sitting and waiting for longer.

讓他們可以在預告片前播放更多廣告，這也是另一項收益的來源，同時也讓觀眾坐著等待的時間拉長。

If you have to sit through 20 minutes of ads and trailers, you might give in and go grab a box of candy, especially if those commercials are for food and soda.

如果你必須坐 20 分鐘觀看廣告和預告片，你可能會受不了而去買一盒糖果，尤其是看那些食物和汽水的廣告。

And delayed start times also remove the pressure of missing the beginning of the movie.

將開始時間往後延也能夠消除錯過電影開場的壓力。

So you might not mind waiting in line for some snacks.

你可能就不會介意去排隊買點心。

Each interaction is designed to get you to spend money on concessions.

每個相互作用都是為了讓你在販賣部裡花錢。

Just look at the ticket window compared to the concession counter.

只要看看售票窗口與販賣部的差別就好。

At this AMC, the ticket window is plain and not very stimulating.

在 AMC 裡，售票窗口很簡樸，而且也不怎麼吸引人。

But the concession counter is bright, colorful, and branded.

但販賣部光線明亮、色彩絢麗和品牌化。

It immediately catches your eye.

馬上就能抓住你的目光。

But those are the tricks they use only when you're actually at the theater.

但他們只能在你實際走進電影院時，才能使用那些手法。

Theaters are also experts at getting you back to see another movie.

電影院也是讓你回去再看另一部電影的專家。

Reward points and special-access programs get consumers to go to the movies more often.

紅利點數和特殊招待券會讓消費者更頻繁地去看電影。

Gaining points for each dollar you spend is a great motivator to buy a little more than you normally would.

每消費一美元就能獲得點數是很不錯的消費動力，讓你比平常花更多錢。

They report their members going to movies more often with the subscription than without.

他們指出，去看電影的人大多都是他們的訂閱會員。

And, of course, these members will bring their friends and their families, who will pay full price.

這些會員會帶他們的朋友家人一起去，而他們都要付全票的價格。

And if you saved money on your ticket with a program like AMC A-List, you might be more willing to spend money on food.

如果你用 AMC 的 A-List 方案可以省下電影的錢，你可能就會更願意花錢在食物上。

Some of these programs can actually save you money, but you shouldn't spend more just to get points or discounts faster.

這些方案有的確可以幫你省錢，但你不應該為了更快得到點數或折扣而花更多錢。

Of course, if your loyalty program is on an app, the theater has 24/7 access to your attention and can send push notifications with details about promos and deals, like this AMC ad that offers free popcorn when you purchase a ticket for your friend.

如果你的忠誠系統是在 app上，那電影院就可以整天吸引你的注意，傳送促銷和優惠的詳細資訊給你 。像是這個 AMC 廣告，只要你為朋友買一張票，就送你免費的爆米花。

Even when you're not at the theater, they're still trying to get you to spend money.

即使你不在電影院，他們仍會試圖讓你花錢。

You might be pretty annoyed at movie theaters right now, but it's not an easy business.

你現在可能對電影院感到生氣，但這不是一項簡單的生意。

Avid moviegoers want modern, well-maintained theaters with high-quality formats, and because so much of the ticket price is going to the distributor, theaters have to find alternative sources of revenue, which means snacks and drinks.

電影院的鐵粉會想要現代、環境良好，提供高規格模式的電影院，而且因為電影票有很大部分都給了經銷商，電影院為了收益，必須找出替代收入來源，也就是點心和飲料。

So, should you just stay home, throw some Orville Redenbacher in the microwave, and watch only what's on Netflix?

你應該待在家，把一些 Orville Redenbacher 的爆米花丟進微波爐，然後看 Netflix 才有的東西嗎？

Of course not!

當然不是！

Going to the movies is supposed to be fun.

去看電影應該要是很有樂趣的。

But you have to make sure the movies you're seeing and the food you're eating is what you actually want, not just something that has been constantly advertised to you.

但你要確定你看的電影和你吃的食物，都是你真正想要的，而不是一直打廣告的東西。

And these tactics are employed best at big chains like Regal or AMC.

這些都是大型連鎖電影院，像 Regal 或 AMC 會使用的最佳策略。

At a local theater, you'll often find cheaper concessions and tickets.

你在非大城市的電影院通常可以找到更便宜的販賣部和電影票。

So, what can you do to save money?

那要怎麼做才能省錢呢？

Eat before you go.

出門前先吃飽。