PETALING JAYA: More than a month has passed since cinemas were allowed to resume screening, but the hope that moviegoers will return in droves has yet to materialise.
Cinema operators attribute the lack of enthusiasm to the dearth of choices of movies to watch apart from the need to adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOP) in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Moviegoers must now have an empty seat separating them.
However, cinema operators are positive that audience numbers are rising, while efforts continue to get enthusiasts back to watch their favourite movies on the big screen.
MBO Cinemas chief operations officer Cheah Chun Wai said a delay in the release of blockbuster movies and limited selections had led to moderate ticket sales in July.
“We are running a campaign to offer concessions and discounts to attract viewers,” he told theSun last week. For instance, one can now watch a rerun for only RM5.
Golden Screen Cinemas (GSC) public relations and branding manager Sharmine Ishak said despite the reduced capacity, the response from patrons has been positive.
He said more than 150,000 moviegoers returned to GSC cinemas in just the first two weeks after they were allowed to reopen on July 1, which, he added, was an encouraging sign.
“This also shows that customers want to come back for the immersive cinema experience,” he told theSun.
He said for the seven days from July 16, when Peninsula made its debut on the big screen, there were almost as many viewers that week as there were for the previous two weeks.
The movie revolves around a soldier and his team battling zombies in post-apocalyptic Korean Peninsula.
“This shows that as long as there is a good line-up of content, audiences will return,” Sharmine said.
He expects the same with the release of other blockbusters such as Tenet, The New Mutants and Mulan later this month.
To mitigate the impact on business, GSC had introduced stringent cashflow management measures by cutting all non-essential spending.
“This includes postponement of refurbishments and renovations until 2021 or after, reduced training and marketing spend, and delayed openings of some of our cinemas in the pipeline.
“We have not cut the salaries of our full-time staff, but contract workers have been temporarily furloughed as a measure to manage our manpower effectively,” he said.
To attract customers back to the cinema, GSC is running a range of promotions, across GSC and Aurum Theatres, their luxury boutique cinema variant - all viewable on their website www.gsc.com.my.
In a statement to theSun, TGV Cinemas said ticket sales have been building up from week to week as customers slowly reacquaint themselves with the big screen.
“For our employees, we’ve utilised government programmes such as the Employment Retention Programme and Wage Subsidy Programme to assist our frontline staff who are most directly impacted.
“All the things that TGV is known for will remain and we’re focused on delivering irresistible promotions as well,” the statement said.
