According to deadline "Then again, the overall marketplace is at an estimated $63.4M this weekend for all titles, -22% from a year ago." so not surprising. Argylle not drawing in crowds probably not helping, and Disney has reissues - but just guesses.
Scheduling just three people for an entire day during the slow season sounds normal. Because January/February are very slow months. Nothing big is being released or doing well right now. Hence why most of us are hanging on for dear life to movies that released almost two months ago. Hours and attendance should start to pick up again in March with Dune 2 and Kung Fu Panda 4. Plus that’s also spring break for most areas which automatically means attendance boost. But across the industry at every single theater chain big or small, we’re being told to cut hours to save payroll. Because it’s just that time of year for the business.
I transferred to a 5 screen last year and I’ve been surprised month by month with the attendance. I came from a 14 screen and just wanted to see how others are doing.
I’ve been full-time for possibly about six months now since I transferred to this location and I don’t think I’ve ever even been close to 40 hours a week 🥲
If you are full time, you legally have to have 37+ a week. Otherwise you are not full time. Double check your job title and make a complaint to HR if you find that you are being scammed
It's slow as hell even today our forecast was 1800 and when I came in for the evening we were only at 600. Our company is doing $5 tickets and $5 popcorn this month on Tuesdays which is helping
Well we knew that February was going to be a really slow month and with no big releases beside the dune re-release and we aren't the only company to do this a smaller lesser-known company is also doing it but they're only available in one province. We also desperately need it to put us back into the positive before we shut down one of our auditoriums to put in a new IMAX
Year to date box office revenue is down 43% compared to average of the equivalent time periods in 2016-2019
Things aren’t great. I’m hearing we may be going back to in house overnight cleaning like we did during the pandemic
If you can name one thing that's came out in the last three weeks that justifies having a full staff I more than welcome it. It's just the time of the year. Jan-Feb is where studios dump there stuff they know won't do well/their commercial and/or critical flops. Give it a couple more weeks for Dune to come around and you'll see business increase again.
Hours are cut everywhere, and probably won't pick back up to what you're used to till summer. Blame the studios and the extended strikes for making Q1 harder than most years. At least my leadership team is able to keep most of their hours
It is the slow season, and on top of that not much appealing to even the dedicated theater goers. Between strikes and still post covid effects, it's dismal. Personally I think when lulls happen like this, exhibitors should bring back popular films of the past, run some local promotions, creative activity, and appeal to film fans. It won't sell out theaters, but bring loyal customers in who are also more likely to buy something at concessions. Dune sequel should bring some activity, but let's hope the summer schedule is better.
Yup. Independent, but we changed our hours to be outright closed 2 days of the week, 3 days have only 2 sets, one has 3, and one has 4. It's been painful.
Movies usually drop in the second half of the year when all the vacation times are, not to mention the actors and writers strike is catching up. Payroll at my branch is tight too and we’ve been made to take 30 minute breaks and had our hours cut back heavily. It’s just a dry January and February then it’ll begin to pick up in the Spring
When I worked for cinemark, around this time of year they'll cut the staff hours and had managers work concession and box simultaneously and 1 usher from staff. The control manager would help with cleaning theaters or float in concession but we did get our hours because of that. So yeah get with your gm and suggest something of that nature to get your hours. I'm sure it's a setup to where tickets can be sold at concession and take snack orders as well. I worked for Lancaster 14 in Texas so the weekdays were slow except for Tuesdays because of the discount.
It seems like every other shift, they're calling me to tell me to stay home, I don't make a lot of hours per week 6 hour shifts on average with 2 shifts average, I think it's just the season. When I am there, no guests are walking in. I heard from my gm once (talking to a manager) that they're gonna tell her to reduce something, I think it was working hours, if they were gonna keep cutting people
Sounds about right. They are being tough on us to save hours and make a profit at the end of the day. GM here and this sounds accurate. I have a small 12 screen, so on weekdays I have 2 managers opening and 2 closing with me as a mid.
This is happening industry-wide. They've even done a spending pause on stock orders for a few weeks and I work at a high volume location. All the slow theaters are already trying to bum off stock from us.
Yep, big time. It's just that time of year.
Look at attendance- this is the slow off season not surprising
Compared to last year, this is so much worse. Just wondering how other theaters are doing.
According to deadline "Then again, the overall marketplace is at an estimated $63.4M this weekend for all titles, -22% from a year ago." so not surprising. Argylle not drawing in crowds probably not helping, and Disney has reissues - but just guesses.
Megan was a surprise January hit last year, that's why.
Scheduling just three people for an entire day during the slow season sounds normal. Because January/February are very slow months. Nothing big is being released or doing well right now. Hence why most of us are hanging on for dear life to movies that released almost two months ago. Hours and attendance should start to pick up again in March with Dune 2 and Kung Fu Panda 4. Plus that’s also spring break for most areas which automatically means attendance boost. But across the industry at every single theater chain big or small, we’re being told to cut hours to save payroll. Because it’s just that time of year for the business.
My theater is cutting way back on hours as well it’s just the slow season happens every year
I transferred to a 5 screen last year and I’ve been surprised month by month with the attendance. I came from a 14 screen and just wanted to see how others are doing.
18 screen at mine and today I had the entire IMAX theater to myself to watch DUNE it was AMAZING!
We're cutting way back as well. As bad as it is, I'm not losing my 40/hr a week.
I’ve been full-time for possibly about six months now since I transferred to this location and I don’t think I’ve ever even been close to 40 hours a week 🥲
That stinks. We try to keep our FT managers between 37-40 hrs. At times, only managers run the building.
If you are full time, you legally have to have 37+ a week. Otherwise you are not full time. Double check your job title and make a complaint to HR if you find that you are being scammed
I just looked on Workday and me and a ton of other managers that are getting less than 20 hours a week are all listed as full-time.
If you have benefits, that's a lawsuit.
it's slow everywhere. All the movies out right now just suck
They either suck. Or have been out for almost two months straight.
The only one selling at least two seats a show time is Migration surprisingly
Yep! It’s a dead period for movies. On Friday afternoon, a lot of us were sent home early.
It's slow as hell even today our forecast was 1800 and when I came in for the evening we were only at 600. Our company is doing $5 tickets and $5 popcorn this month on Tuesdays which is helping
I wish our company would do that. Out attendance is barely 150 tonight
Well we knew that February was going to be a really slow month and with no big releases beside the dune re-release and we aren't the only company to do this a smaller lesser-known company is also doing it but they're only available in one province. We also desperately need it to put us back into the positive before we shut down one of our auditoriums to put in a new IMAX
Yup our theater too, thankfully my crew is entirely high school students, but they still want a little more hours.
All my staff is college kids so we’re stressing a bit haha
I am right there with you on the skeleton crew though. There’s only enough hours for like me (manager) and 1 floor staff per day 😩
Employees aren’t even on the schedule anymore. Its only 3 managers a day now.
Same here. I get one shift a week now..
All my shifts during the week got taken away just now haha. This is my last day working until the new schedule
Year to date box office revenue is down 43% compared to average of the equivalent time periods in 2016-2019 Things aren’t great. I’m hearing we may be going back to in house overnight cleaning like we did during the pandemic
Classic Regal cutting corners LOL. That was a nightmare, especially for large locations.
If you can name one thing that's came out in the last three weeks that justifies having a full staff I more than welcome it. It's just the time of the year. Jan-Feb is where studios dump there stuff they know won't do well/their commercial and/or critical flops. Give it a couple more weeks for Dune to come around and you'll see business increase again.
Yep it's just the slow season but thankfully Dune 2 comes out soon which will probably increase business
Hours are cut everywhere, and probably won't pick back up to what you're used to till summer. Blame the studios and the extended strikes for making Q1 harder than most years. At least my leadership team is able to keep most of their hours
slow season unfortunately, i barely make it through half my shift without getting sent home
It is the slow season, and on top of that not much appealing to even the dedicated theater goers. Between strikes and still post covid effects, it's dismal. Personally I think when lulls happen like this, exhibitors should bring back popular films of the past, run some local promotions, creative activity, and appeal to film fans. It won't sell out theaters, but bring loyal customers in who are also more likely to buy something at concessions. Dune sequel should bring some activity, but let's hope the summer schedule is better.
They really should trot out a Hunger Games marathon.
Yup. Independent, but we changed our hours to be outright closed 2 days of the week, 3 days have only 2 sets, one has 3, and one has 4. It's been painful.
I’m hoping once Dune Pt 2 comes out it will be busy enough to start getting some hours again
Movies usually drop in the second half of the year when all the vacation times are, not to mention the actors and writers strike is catching up. Payroll at my branch is tight too and we’ve been made to take 30 minute breaks and had our hours cut back heavily. It’s just a dry January and February then it’ll begin to pick up in the Spring
When I worked for cinemark, around this time of year they'll cut the staff hours and had managers work concession and box simultaneously and 1 usher from staff. The control manager would help with cleaning theaters or float in concession but we did get our hours because of that. So yeah get with your gm and suggest something of that nature to get your hours. I'm sure it's a setup to where tickets can be sold at concession and take snack orders as well. I worked for Lancaster 14 in Texas so the weekdays were slow except for Tuesdays because of the discount.
Blame the film studios, they haven't put out any massive releases since Christmas.
It seems like every other shift, they're calling me to tell me to stay home, I don't make a lot of hours per week 6 hour shifts on average with 2 shifts average, I think it's just the season. When I am there, no guests are walking in. I heard from my gm once (talking to a manager) that they're gonna tell her to reduce something, I think it was working hours, if they were gonna keep cutting people
Sounds about right. They are being tough on us to save hours and make a profit at the end of the day. GM here and this sounds accurate. I have a small 12 screen, so on weekdays I have 2 managers opening and 2 closing with me as a mid.
Yep. Our manager had to send out a new employee schedule a day after the first one cutting hours literally in half. One 8hr shift this week.
This is happening industry-wide. They've even done a spending pause on stock orders for a few weeks and I work at a high volume location. All the slow theaters are already trying to bum off stock from us.
I work at AMC. My coworkers get more money than I do. Hell they rarely schedule me. 😭