AMC helps moviegoers get popcorn with no line

AMC Entertainment movie theaters, owned by Wanda Group, will begin rolling out a test of a smartphone application at four of its theaters in Kansas City that allows moviegoers to skip long lines at concession stands.

The app to be tested during the upcoming holiday movie season will allow moviegoers two ways to order food. With express service, they can place an order and pay for their food on their app and then collect the items at the concession stands. At theaters with reserved seating, AMC may begin delivering food to people at their seats before a movie starts, according to George Patterson, the theater chain's senior vice-president of food and beverage.

"They are both unique experiences, but they are also different. They fit a different need within our business," Patterson said.

Two of the test sites will offer the express service and two will offer deliver-to-seat service, he said. The tests will continue into January and then AMC might expand into other markets around the country. AMC is testing the service now to coincide with the release of the upcoming Star Wars movie, which has already broken record opening-day ticket sales.

"Our business goes up and down quite a bit in terms of volume and it can change by the hour, by the day, by the week. Obviously this coming week with Star Wars coming out it's going to be very, very exciting times for us, but one of the things that creates a challenge for us is long lines. I don't care who you are, I don't think many people like waiting in lines," said Patterson.

The company is hoping the app will attract orders from those who would have skipped a concession stand due to lengthy lines, he said.

"When you look at mobile, this is really utilizing technology to bridge the gap between comfort and convenience, and how do you marry that with food and beverage?" said Michael Purcell, a vice-president at AMC.

AMC Entertainment owns more than 300 movie theaters across the US that have an attendance of about 200 million people a year, according to the company. It was purchased by Beijing-based Wanda in fall of 2012, with the chairman of Wanda Wang Jianlin investing about $800 million to acquire 80 percent of the company. Since the purchase, the value of his stake has grown to nearly $2 billion.

The theater chain does not plan to use the food service beyond its movie houses in the United States, though introducing it to the Chinese market is something the company "might look at down the road," according to an AMC spokesman. There are more than 23,000 movie theaters in China, with an average of 15 screens being added daily.

amyhe@chinadailyusa.com