Movie ticket stubs become "coupons" to activate consumption potential in the lower-tier markets

Original Title: Movie Ticket Stubs Become “Coupons” to Activate Consumption Potential in the Lower-Tier Markets

As of February 21, the total annual box office (including pre-sales) for 2026 has surpassed 7 billion yuan! Among them, the total box office (including pre-sales) for the Spring Festival films has exceeded 4.5 billion yuan. “Flying Life 3,” “Silent Zhi,” and “Dartman: Wind Rising in the Desert” are currently the top three in the annual box office rankings.

Ticket Stub Recognition

Box Office and Shopping Mall Consumption Rise Simultaneously

During the Spring Festival, many places organized activities like “Follow the Movie to Visit Markets.” By recognizing movie ticket stubs and shopping receipts, they boosted both box office sales and mall consumption, effectively activating consumption potential in lower-tier markets.

In Changde, Hunan Province, a commercial complex implemented ticket stub recognition during this year’s Spring Festival. Consumers who spend a certain amount can exchange their tickets for free movie tickets. Additionally, with movie ticket stubs, shoppers at over 70 stores in the mall can enjoy discounts.

Consumer: I just finished watching a movie and didn’t expect that I could enjoy an 85% discount with my ticket. I bought some shredded sauce duck and Changde rice noodles, just in time to bring some delicious food back to relatives and friends after the New Year.

Besides cross-industry collaborations with catering and food, the local government also invited provincial intangible cultural heritage inheritors to showcase their crafts in the mall, allowing moviegoers and consumers to experience the charm of intangible cultural heritage during the Spring Festival.

Zhong Ling, a representative inheritor of the intangible cultural heritage of traditional incense making in Hunan Province: This time, following the movie to visit the market, our products are very popular. The sales over the past two days have been excellent. We only brought a little bit of our products.

Following the movie to visit markets enables cinemas and malls to interact in a two-way manner, with box office revenue soaring and offline consumption thriving.

Li Jun, Market Manager at Wanda Plaza, Wuling District, Changde: During the Spring Festival, the average daily movie attendance reached nearly 7,000 people, driving the mall’s daily sales to nearly 4 million yuan, a 5% year-on-year increase.

The Power of Ticket Stubs

Many regions have established movie ticket stub consumption alliances

Following the movie to visit markets made this Spring Festival very different from previous years. Especially in the first batch of 16 “Movie+” comprehensive consumption pilot cities, the “Movie+” consumption model has introduced many innovations.

As one of the first 16 “Movie+” comprehensive pilot cities nationwide, Qingdao in Shandong Province not only has a booming film market but also a vibrant ticket stub economy. The number of merchants in the ticket stub economy alliance has grown from over 200 at its inception to more than 700 now. Various tickets such as movie tickets and transportation tickets can be converted into coupons that connect dining, accommodation, travel, shopping, and entertainment.

Consumer: I used to finish watching a movie and just toss the ticket stub without a second thought. Today, I found out that this movie ticket can also be used as a small discount coupon. After watching the movie, I went to eat hotpot and exchanged a drink with my ticket stub at the store.

Han Yu, Manager of a Hotpot Restaurant in Qingdao: Recently, many customers with ticket stubs have come to dine with us, which has helped increase our traffic during the holiday rush.

Yichang in Hubei Province is also one of the first 16 “Movie+” comprehensive pilot cities and is a filming location for movies like “Daxian Jin Zhi” and “Hawthorn Tree Love.” During this Spring Festival, many film fans came to “check in” and explore the area. To seize this consumption opportunity, Qingjiang Scenic Area launched an exclusive activity allowing visitors to enter free with a movie ticket stub.

Consumer: After watching the movie “Daxian Jin Zhi,” I wanted to see the beautiful scenery of Yichang shown in the film. Being able to visit Qingjiang Scenic Area for free with a movie ticket was a wonderful surprise.

Xu Yunfu, Executive General Manager of Qingjiang Scenic Area Tourism Development Co., Ltd.: In the past two months, the number of visitors has increased by 15% year-on-year. The movie really brought us popularity and boosted consumption.

(CCTV reporters Zhao Shuguang, Jiang Yong, Wang Wei, Le Linfeng, Xu Zhihao)

(CCTV News App)