Cineplex Decision
Cineplex was fined $39 million for deceptive marketing practices by the Competition Tribunal on the 23rd of this month but have stated that they would appeal it according to a press release issued that same day, so consumers will probably continue paying the $1.50 online convenience fees until further notice.
Personally, I’ve decided to simply go with discounted tickets and gift cards from Costco to counteract the fee. But I of course have a local Landmark Theatre so I’m in a better position than some. And theatres are closing.
Cine Starz is down to five theatres and Cineplex recently closed their theatre in Brockville, the community’s only movie theatre, so the industry is in serious trouble, especially the independent theatres according to a recent study.
The recent addition of foreign films to the major theatre chains could help but most European films appear to still be limited to the smaller indie theatres, which are usually downtown, so more could be done to get people into seats. But I don’t think nickel and dime schemes will be tolerated by most consumers.
Home premiere releases have already resulted in a significant drop in attendance and consequently concession sale losses yet they thought this fee would somehow not be perceived as negative by consumers?
I don’t get it. And like many consumers I’m getting quite picky when it comes to films because of trope fatigue so they’ll need to somehow counteract these fees, if not drop them entirely for members of their loyalty programs, at least.
Ontario Theatres Closed
Cineplex has issued a notice that the their theatres will be closed as of January 5th, 2201 in response to the new provincial guidelines on COVID. And it appears that the other chains in the province will do so shortly.
Refunds will be issued so keep an eye on your email if you have purchased tickets.
Closures and openings
Although Cineplex Theatres expect to re-open on November 7th, the other chains have decided to close their doors until further notice in the province of Ontario, including Landmark and Cine Starz.
On the other hand, Sunrise Records is opening a new store in Toronto, at Sherway Gardens, and their stores are open with reduced hours and extra precautions due to COVID-19. And the Record Fair at the St. John’s Farmer’s Market in Newfoundland appears to be on schedule for Sunday, the 15th of November from 10 am to 4 pm, with precautions of course.
In regards to postal deliveries, Canada Post is still operating at Christmas parcel volumes and have advised individuals to shop and possibly ship early. And shipments have been suspended to multiple countries so you may want to consult their Delivery service interruption page prior to sending anything overseas.
Black Friday will be on November 27th this year so I will be adding information on that event later on.
U.S and U.K Theaters Closing
United States chain Regal Cinemas and United Kingdom chain Cineworld may close temporarily due to the pandemic according to this official tweet:
We can confirm we are considering the temporary closure of our U.K. and US cinemas, but a final decision has not yet been reached. Once a decision has been made we will update all staff and customers as soon as we can.
— Cineworld Cinemas (@cineworld) October 4, 2020
Multiple media outlets are reporting that the delayed release of the latest film in the James Bond franchise, “No Time To Die”, may have caused them to consider these closures. And unfortunately, I suspect that some of the Canadian chains will do likewise due to the lack of the new content and that they will not reopen until after vaccines are made available to the general public.
“Wonder Woman 1984” had been delayed until Christmas 2020 and multiple films productions have slowed down due to the safety measures being taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 so this truly was a bleak year for the film industry.
Cinemas Closed In Quebec Again
Libraries, Museums and Cinemas will be closed for 28 days in Greater Montreal, Quebec City and Chaudière-Appalaches regions in response to the resurgence of COVID-19 in those areas.
Events will be limited to 25 people, so record conventions in the province will likely be cancelled. And stores may limit their hours and entry to a few individuals so you should consider ordering products online for delivery or pick-up.
Altough cinemas and stores remain open in the province of Ontario, A resurgance in cases is also being observed there so another lockdown is a possibility.
Most music retailers in Ontario now offer reservations/in-store pick-ups, curbside pick-ups and deliveries so there are options to limit person to person contact.
Movie Theaters Re-Opening
The movie theatre chains in Canada will be re-opening some of their locations with stipulations in regards to the mandatory wearing of masks and fewer seats, concessions and bathroom stalls being made available to facilitate social distancing.
Landmark Theatres has already opened some locations in the provinces of Alberta and will open more shortly in British Columbia and Saskatchewan whilst Cineplex and Guzzo Cinemas are planning on opening locations in July, some as of July 3rd.
The Imagine Cinemas chain in Ontario and British Columbia remains closed but Ciné Stars have opened their theatres in the province of Quebec.