Delis are an essential part of movie theatre chain Finnkino´s atmosphere and service. Concept development of delis has increased their volume of sales fivefold in ten years and an average purchase 3.5 fold.
In Finland Finnkino has 15 movie theatres in 11 cities. The first deli in a theatre was opened in in 2006. Finnkino's concession sales manager Petri Laine has run the development of the deli concept for the last 10 years.
"We have searched for ideas in the US and the Nordic countries, among others. At first we developed the product mix, campaigns and special offers. Now we focus on the design of the delis from a new perspective. We improve the functionality of the theatres and make them more comfortable in order to increase the sales," Laine tells.
Since 2004 Finnkino has co-operated with Inexterior New Store Europe to design better retail environments. The concept development is based on thorough analyses on customers' needs and their purchase behaviour.
"Delis are designed so that the customer flow is smooth. We have carefully thought how we meet our customers and how we present our product range to maximise the sales. We must keep our service fluent and quick, because we serve a lot of people during a short rush hour," Laine explains.
The product range has increased
Delis offer sweets and popcorn, but also snacks like chips, coffee and sweet pastries.
"We have also an ice cream bar and a cafeteria in our deli. During the spring we have renewed our Kinopalatsi theatre in Helsinki. It is the fourth theatre where we sell different kinds of ice cream. We also sell fast food, which is a new area for us. Customers have accepted new products well and the start seems very promising," Laine rejoices.
The next step in concept development is the use of TV screens. The electric menu boards display the products and guide customers.
"The investment is considerable, but the system will pay itself back quickly. We make substantial savings in the printing of the advertisement material."
The deli concept will be expanded to the older Finnkino theatres too.
Finnkino is part of Sanoma Trade, a division of the Sanoma Group.