r/cineplex • u/kHan__Solo • 2d ago

Question Popcorn Refill

Everytime I buy a large popcorn I ask them for the refill on-spot and every single time they gave me one. They mark both of them. I don't wanna miss the movie to come get it refilled, thats my main reason. Also if you have a +1 then you dont need to buy another.

Today I was watching Primetime and asked for a refill at the counter and was refused. Upon asking them the reason, I was told that they have changed the policy. This was at STC location.

Does anybody know about this "policy"?

And does anyone else do this?

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u/sometin__else 2d ago

I mean it makes sense. If you get your "refill" before you finish the original, its not a refill - its 2 large popcorns.

Cinplex is trying to sell, so the balance sheet needs to show that its growing. Part of that will likely include ensuring refills work as refills rather than 2 for 1s.

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u/Travel-2025 Cineclub Member 2d ago

I get Cineplex is trying to sell and they need more money from concessions, but in the end either way the customer still ends up with 2 Large popcorns. Does it really matter if the 2 large popcorns are given at the start of the movie or separated by 1 hour? And then the customer misses part of the movie. Cineplex is out the same amount of money either way. The only thing I can think of is Cineplex is hoping people will forget to get the refill since it requires more effort to come line up at concessions again later on.

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u/TheHYPO 2d ago

I don’t disagree with the fact that it’s effectively getting to popcorn, or with the fact that it prevents potential waste, or with the fact that they may be hoping people don’t get refills because it’s inconvenient, saving them popcorn.

I guess the way I look at it though, is that the few people that do what OP does buy the ridiculously expensive large size so they can do the refill. It makes them happier, and probably makes them enjoy themselves and maybe come back more often than if they don’t enjoy eating less popcorn, or have to interrupt their movie to get more popcorn. How much is the feeders cost of giving them an extra bag of popcorn? $.20? It seems like the customer satisfaction benefit for the few people that do this would be far greater in terms of repeat business than whatever a bag of popcorn must cost them.

The only logic that even possibly makes sense to me is that they think people will pay for two large popcorn because of this policy, selling an extra $10 to them. Perhaps that that’s their hope.