世論 What Japan Thinks

[part 1] [part 2]

Over a week at the end of August and the start of September, DIMSDRIVE Research looked at movie theatre attendance. 5,180 member of their online monitor panel successfully completed a private internet survey. 43.1% were male, 1.2% in their teens, 17.2% in their twenties, 34.8% in their thirties, 26.9% in their forties, 14.2% in their fifties, and 5.7% aged sixty or over.

I found the infrequency of cinema visits in Q1 rather surprising, with over two in five visiting once every sixth months or less and another one in five not having visited at all in recent years, but sadly there is no follow-up questions to find out why they don’t visit more often. Given that in Q4 46.0% use Ladies’ Day discounts (usually 1,000 yen instead of the standard 1,800 yen price), and since there were 56.9% female respondents, that means that just over four in five women use these discount. Since about half often buy popcorn and a drink, both of which have high markups, perhaps more Men’s Days or better still Couples Days would get more bums on seats and better profits. However, Q4SQ suggests that guaranteeing a seat ahead of time is a key requirement, but one usually cannot reserve seats at Ladies’ Day prices, so perhaps allowing reservations on these days is a way forward. However, if people turn up at the cinema and find no seats leftfor their favourite film, they may often choose another one since they’ve come all the way to the cinema, so if seat availability could be checked from home they’d actually have less custom.

Q1: About how often do you go to the cinema? (Sample size=5,180)

Once a week or more	0.8%
Two or three times a month	4.6%
Once a month	10.6%
Once every two or three months	19.8%
Once every six months	19.3%
Once a year or less	22.5%
Don’t know	0.6%
Haven’t been for many a year (to Q11)	19.9%
Never been to a cinema (to Q11)	1.9%

Q2: What sort of cinema do you often visit? (Sample size=4,015, multiple answer)

Cinema complex (5 or more screens) (to SQ)	74.9%
Ordinary cinema (4 or less screens)	41.2%
Mini cinema (independent movies)	10.0%
Drive-in	0.3%
Other	0.5%
Don’t know	0.8%

Q2SQ: What is the name of your most favourite cinema complex chain? (Sample size=3,009)

Warner Mycal Cinemas	29.8%
TOHO Cinemas (includes Virgin Cinemas)	16.3%
MOVIX Shochiku Multiplex Theatres	7.2%
109 Cinemas	4.6%
Cineplex	4.5%
United Cinema	4.5%
Chinechitta	2.8%
Aeon Cinema	2.6%
Corona World	2.4%
Cinema Sunshine	2.0%
Cinema Expiari	1.5%
T-JOY	1.3%
Other	1.3%
No particular favourite chain	19.2%

Q3: What foods or drinks do you buy a lot of at the cinema? (Sample size=4,015, multiple answer)

Food

Popcorn	48.4%
Fried potato	8.1%
Potato crisps (chips)	7.9%
Small bag of sweeties	5.4%
Nachos	5.2%
Sandwich or other bread products	4.0%
Savoury nibbles	2.5%
Onion rings	1.3%
Crepe stick	0.9%

Drink

Cola or other soft drinks	56.9%
Coffee	25.6%
Beer or other alcohol	5.9%

Other	1.0%
Don’t buy food or drink	20.3%

Q4: What discount tickets or special services, etc, have you ever used? (Sample size=4,015, multiple answer)

Ladies’ day (once a week discount for females)	46.0%
Discount coupon (includes advance tickets?)	39.1%
Cinema day discount (first of the month discount)	31.3%
Late show, midnight show discount	30.3%
Online ticket purchase (to SQ)	14.7%
Loyalty card program	13.0%
Pair discount, friends discount	12.7%
Silver discount (retired people discount)	5.8%
Premier screen (not sure on this one!)	4.5%
Pair seat	3.9%
Other	3.4%
Don’t know	1.2%
Not used any	11.5%

Q4SQ: Why did you use an online ticket purchase service? (Sample size=592, multiple answer)

Because I can guarantee a seat	77.5%
Because I can buy tickets in advance	69.3%
Because I don’t need to queue at the cinema	61.0%
Becuase I can smoothly enter the cinema on the day	57.6%
Because I can select seat location	55.6%
Because I can buy any time	37.3%
Because I can purchase from home or other locations	35.5%
Because I can get a discount or points	22.3%
Because I can get credit card miles or points	17.6%
Other	1.5%
No particular reason	2.4%

[part 1] [part 2]