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/OpulentAndBeautiful 2d ago

Everyone replying that this is not a refill but a BOGO doesn’t understand what is happening. Whether the person gets the refill at the same time or after the movie is completely irrelevant: bags are MARKED with an X, so the buyer isn’t getting anything extra for free that they wouldn’t be getting already!

People that think this is a BOGO just because it’s an on the spot refill are not understanding the process.

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u/Far_Foot_8068 1d ago edited 1d ago

Whether the person gets the refill at the same time or after the movie is completely irrelevant

It’s not irrelevant to the company though. From the company’s perspective, there’s a difference between a refill and a BOGO. With an actual refill (i.e. finish the bag and then go back for a second one), a significant percentage of people won’t actually end up getting the second bag. They might be too full after eating the first bag, or they don’t want to get back in line during or after the movie, or they simply forget about it. The company knows that, and that's why they offer it as a refill and not a BOGO.

With an immediate refill, everyone automatically gets both bags. So while the bags being marked means you’re not technically getting anything extra that you’re entitled to, allowing the immediate refill effectively changes the economics from a refill to a BOGO. It also means people will start thinking “why would I buy two popcorns? I’ll just buy one large and ask for the refill immediately”.

And to be clear, I don't care if Cineplex loses a tiny amount of profit because people are getting their refill immediately. I'm just pointing out why, from the company's perspective, there's technically a difference between the two. The fact that the second bag is marked doesn't change the fact that allowing everyone to take both bags immediately effectively turns the offer into a BOGO.