Cinemas and movie theaters

Inventory in cinemas and movie theaters - snacks, drinks and stock levels under control

Popcorn, cola, nachos and chocolate bars - they are among the biggest sales drivers in your movie theater. At the same time, managing these snacks and drinks is highly complex. Shift changes, peak times and a wide range of products from popcorn machines to syrup bottles make stock control difficult. Inventory in cinemas therefore means more than just counting stock: It's about keeping track of all concession items at all times to guarantee smooth processes and satisfied guests.

Why a precise inventory is crucial in cinemas

Accurate stock control of your cinema inventory is key to avoiding losses and securing profits. Here are the most important reasons why you should rely on precise stock control:

• Reduce shrinkage: Through regular and accurate stocktaking, you can uncover shrinkage - be it theft, spillage or expired goods - at an early stage.
• Optimize replenishment planning: Replenishment planning in the concession area can only succeed with an up-to-date inventory overview so that you don't run out of popcorn or cola during prime time.
• Check the cost of goods: A digital inventory provides you with reliable figures on your cost of goods sold. This means you know exactly how much merchandise has been used and can compare it with the sales revenue - this improves costing and prevents profits from being lost in the warehouse.

Special challenges in cinema inventory

Inventory in cinemas and movie theaters comes with its own hurdles:

• Multiple points of sale: In multiplex cinemas with several snack counters, stock is spread across different areas. This makes stocktaking considerably more difficult - especially if you end up having to compile all the figures manually in Excel.
• Hidden storage locations: Cinema storage areas are often spread throughout the building - from the freezer for ice cream to the cellar. There is often no Wi-Fi in these storage areas, which makes on-site digital stocktaking complicated if the system only works online.
• Peak times and weekend business: there is often only time to count after the last performance or before the first Sunday matinée. At peak times, however, hundreds of liters of soft drinks and kilos of popcorn are sold over the counter - so stocks change rapidly. Staff are then tired or under time pressure, and without a reliable system, errors are inevitable.

How BarBrain is revolutionizing digital inventory in cinemas

Fortunately, there are modern solutions such as BarBrain, which are specially tailored to catering and entertainment businesses. BarBrain takes digital inventory for movie theaters to a new level:

• Fast counting of snacks, drinks and non-food items: With the BarBrain app, you can count everything from popcorn, nachos and drinks cups to cleaning products in record time.
• Intuitive volume control for fill levels (e.g. syrup, oil, ice): Instead of puzzling over how much syrup is left in the canister, simply use the slider for the fill level - popcorn inventory and partial quantity detection become child's play.
• Multi-user support for parallel stocktaking at several concession stands: Multiple employees can count simultaneously in different areas. BarBrain synchronizes all data so that all results are merged in real time.
• Offline counting in basement storage without a WLAN connection: No Internet? No problem! BarBrain saves all entries offline. As soon as you are back online, the data is securely uploaded to the cloud. This enables digital stock control in the cinema, even if the warehouse is deep in the cellar.
• Automatic reports for shrinkage, cost of goods sold and monthly overviews: BarBrain creates automatic reports. You recognize deviations immediately, keep an eye on your shrinkage and cost of goods sold and have monthly overviews at your fingertips at all times.

Advantages for different types of cinemas

Whether a multiplex with several concession stands or a small arthouse cinema - every cinema benefits from digital inventory. In a large cinema center, you save a lot of time because several users count in parallel and all data is collected centrally. In arthouse or arthouse cinemas, you save yourself hours of manual counting and can concentrate on the film program and your guests instead.

"Stocktaking in our movie theater used to be a nightmare after midnight - endless lists and the worry of missing something. Since we started using BarBrain, stocktaking has almost run itself. At the end of the day, we have reliable figures and recognize immediately if something is missing somewhere. BarBrain finally gives us the good feeling of having snacks, drinks and stock levels under control."

Conclusion: Test now free of charge

Stocktaking in cinemas doesn't have to be an agonizing chore - with the right digital stocktaking solution, it's child's play. BarBrain reduces the effort, creates an overview and ultimately increases your profits. See for yourself: Try BarBrain now for free and experience how easy inventory in movie theaters can be!