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Fun At A Premium
Posted by Pradeep Sadanapalli | May 27, 2007 | 287 views
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Loading ...Are food courts in the city’s multiplexes charging more for your pop corn, soft drinks and mineral water?
For a city that puts a high premium on recreation, it’s the entertainment and not paying more that matters. Or so it seems. The metrology department of Hyderabad recently caught the food courts in multiplexes, off-guard, in a raid. They were found selling packed food and beverages at a higher rate than the market price.
Imtiazullah Hasan, assistant controller, administration, metrology department, says, “We found that most items were being sold at prices much higher than the maximum retail price (MRP)”. Hyderabad Times found that a can of low-calorie carbonated drink, which costs Rs 25 (MRP) in the market, was priced at Rs 35 in a food court at a multiplex in Punjagutta. A 750 ml mineral water cost Rs 20 in a multiplex at Tank Bund, while a 1 litre bottle costs Rs 12 in retail outlets. But the mineral water sold at multiplexes aren’t available in the market. So are people paying more just for exclusive packaging? Perhaps.
A movie buff, Yash Tayal, agrees. “I know the prices are much higher, but there is no option. Outside food isn’t allowed into multiplexes. But I can’t do without something to munch on or drink. If I can buy a movie ticket for Rs 100, then I certainly can buy a soft drink for Rs 30,” he reasons. While some don’t mind paying, others aren’t aware that they have been paying more. “I have come to know about the issue, only after I read reports of the raid. Food courts should display MRPs of listed items,” suggests IT consultant, Nisith Patnaik. However, food courts justify their tariff, citing overhead costs as the reason. But they don’t deny grey areas. As Shoumitra Sinha, senior operations manager at a food joint in a multiplex in Punjagutta, informs, “Eatables prepared in-house allow a higher scope for profit, than packaged food and beverages.”
People prefer multiplexes over regular theatres, because “the movie-watching experience has undergone a sea change. For many, it’s not about which movie they watched, but where they watched,” observes sociology scholar Suman Ekka.
SOURCES:
Times Of India
Topics: Entertainment |
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