Regal Cinemas Gifting Sales Make A Star Turn with Groupon
“Since the partnership with Groupon started, it's been fantastic. The flexibility and vast customer base are a great advantage. Numbers keep growing, and we always have so many opportunities to promote our products.”
Aaron Clark, Regal Cinemas’ Gifting Corporate Sales Account Executive
are driven by Groupon
About Regal Cinemas
Established in 1989 in Knoxville, Tennessee, Regal Cinemas is a leading global entertainment company. “They started small, gradually growing the business. Then, they partnered with a few other companies, which is when things really took off. Now, it is part of Regal Cineworld, with theaters across the world, including the US, Europe, and the Middle East”, Aaron Clark, Gifting Corporate Sales Account Executive at Regal Cinemas, explains.
Marking its 35th anniversary, Regal is celebrated for its focus on “providing the best customer service possible and having team members that are really passionate about the movie industry and the moviegoing experience. Regal's also really been investing in the theaters”, having been one of the first to adopt premium formats to enhance the cinematic experience. Regal’s Unlimited program “is another key differentiator. For a flat fee, members can choose a plan and enjoy truly unlimited movies. This fosters incredible loyalty among our members”, Aaron adds.
The Challenge
Regal Cinemas has faced numerous challenges over the past few years. "We had a lot of things thrown at us, from COVID to restructuring to the writers and actors strike last year," reflects Aaron Clark. "It’s been very busy. We’ve had to adapt quickly and innovate to keep up."
In a changing environment, Regal Cinemas also experiences predictable seasonal slow periods, in particular between January and March. After the holidays, people don't go out so much, and studios often hold off on major releases during these months.
To navigate these obstacles, in 2022 Aaron was “tasked with finding new avenues to take, new ways to distribute our tickets and markets where we aren't quite established”, in particular for gifting and concessions.
The Results
In 2022, Regal decided to partner with Groupon. In Clark’s words, “Groupon was a great fit, for its brand recognition, its massive and loyal customer base, and the sheer volume of sales we would be able to achieve. Also, there are a lot of marketing options."
This choice proved extremely successful in promoting Regal Cinemas’ many different offerings, in particular their gifting options. “Last year, we launched concession vouchers on Groupon, and we’ve seen great results. We also just launched our unlimited voucher, and we're excited to see where that goes, together with the other gifting products we have in the pipeline”, Aaron Clark says.
The collaboration with Groupon is not only an avenue to promote different products but also a driver of strong performance results: "In 2023, Groupon contributed to about 10-15% of our overall gifting sales, which is a substantial portion of our ticket and concession voucher sales," notes Aaron.
“Groupon has been able to do some things that other partners wouldn't. The promotions we're able to run, the flexibility we have. It really contributes to our increase in sales and it’s a great partnership. Just in Q4 2023, we saw a 17% increase in gifting sales, and then a 23% year-on-year increase in 2024.
We look forward to continuing to work together to bring even more innovative and exciting offers to our customers.”
Aaron Clark, Regal Cinemas
Top Tips for Working with Groupon
👉 Be Prepared for Seasonal Variations: “Groupon has been able to pick up a lot of pieces during our slow periods. But we also have our very busy season, and Groupon's able to capitalize on that, too. It's great to see the Groupon numbers come in every other week and that really helps us out."
👉 Supercharge Your Gifting Offerings: “Movies can be expensive, and with Groupon, we've been able to make them more accessible, particularly for gifting tickets and concessions. A huge thanks to Groupon for making this opportunity so successful so far."
👉 Maximize Your Marketing Impact: "The marketing customization options with Groupon are a big plus. We can send targeted emails, secure special placements on the website, and push limited-time deals—things we might not always be able to do on our own. This flexibility helps us push more volume through Groupon, which benefits both sides.”
👉 Leverage Flexibility for Optimal Results: "Another great thing about working with Groupon is the flexibility we have. If there's something you want to try, you can pitch it and see how it goes. It's a great way to test different marketing strategies or products before going full scale. You can also evaluate which products to offer and find that perfect price point that resonates with customers.”
👉 Keep Innovating: “Now that we know our standing within Groupon, especially as a giftable product, we can lean into that further and adjust our messaging to make it even more gift-friendly. We’ve learned a lot about how our products are perceived by Groupon customers during our campaigns.”
“All my contacts at Groupon have been fantastic—responsive, respectful, and great at their jobs. Everybody has been very helpful in building our brand on Groupon, and motivating us to look into the future and what we can do better together.
And whenever I need promotion numbers or monthly sales figures, they’re quick to provide detailed information. That’s invaluable, especially since with some other partners, we often feel like we’re running blind. But with Groupon, we’ve never had to worry about that."
