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TOKENS BOOST FOR THEATRE BOX OFFICE
23.01.2012 / Theatre / 0 Comments
Sales up despite recession, says SOLT
Theatre tokens appear to be bucking the downward trend in theatre box office, according to the latest figures from The Society of London Theatre (SOLT).
The gift voucher scheme, which is run by SOLT, showed sales of almost £10 million in 2011, an increase of 1% on last year. This compares with regular box office sales dropping by 9% over the last two years in the subsidised theatre and by 4% in the West End.
Online sales channels saw the biggest increase in 2011, with online sales up over 25%. Phone sales via the Tokenline hotline were also up 10% on 2010.
Sales of Theatre Tokens are dependent on strong pre-Christmas trading, with over 50% of total sales taking place in the fourth quarter. This year saw a trend of late purchasing with sales up significantly in November and December, helped by a Christmas marketing campaign.
A spokesman for SOLT said that theatre has real appeal as a gift. “There seemed to be a move last year towards people giving each other experiences or taking each other out for Christmas and Theatre Tokens seems to have tapped into this trend.”
He added that tokens bought in the run up to Christmas should help boost box office sales in 2012.
Theatre Tokens plans to continue to grow its business using new methods of selling to consumers, including mobile platforms, Facebook and e-vouchers.
Theatre Tokens, launched in 1984, is run on behalf of the theatre industry in the UK by SOLT, a trade association that represents the producers, theatre owners and managers of the major commercial and grant-aided theatres in central London.
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