AMC Entertainment is eying to sell its popcorn outside the theaters as cinemas continue to struggle amid the COVID pandemic.

The announcement came on Thursday, saying that it will start selling its popcorn at malls, supermarkets, and convenience stores in the U.S, according to a QUARTZ News report.

A total of 15 retail stores will be opened across the U.S., with it expanding its locations by the end of 2022, according to AMC.

Adam Aron, CEO of AMC, said in a press release that moving into the multibillion-dollar popcorn market is natural and logical for the company, adding that they were wondering why the idea has not been tried before.

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Popcorn Business

Cinemark CEO Mark Zoradi said that he does not think it is necessarily a gamechanger for anyone as popcorn is very important to all of them, according to a CNBC report. For four years, Cinemark has been selling its prepackaged popcorn at movie theaters, according to Zoradi.

In addition, it has been testing kiosks in malls in Brazil. Zoradi said that it creates a cinematic experience for guests, continuing to drive strong sales amid the pandemic.

The Cinemark CEO said that popcorn and concessions are a big part of that.

Meanwhile, AMC also plans to make its AMC Theaters Perfectly Popcorn available through food delivery-to-home services, according to a Comic Book report. AMC also intends to offer packaged and microwaveable AMC Theaters popcorn later in 2022.

The company noted that the U.S. popcorn market is seen to balloon significantly in the coming years. It also believes that expanding into the rale sale of popcorn is a natural extension of its core business.

The AMC Theatres Perfectly Popcorn will offer a wide choice of variety in the menu, from traditional and gourmet-flavored candy.

They will also be offering candies and other theater treats. The company also said that all its locations will feature freshly made popcorn on-site to give the theater popcorn experience minus the actual theater.

AMC Theaters currently pops in the range of 50 tons of popcorn per day on their busiest days, according to the company's CEO.

Malco Theaters had already dipped its venture into consumer products last year with its own line of popcorn sold at Walmart and Kroger stores in the regions where it operates.

Theaters Amid The COVID Pandemic

The theater industry was also widely affected by the pandemic, just like any other industry.

New streaming video services emerged from known studios such as Disney, Universal, and Warner Bros. joining and competing with Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon, according to a Forbes report.

In 2019, the theatrical revenue earned $42.3 billion, as compared to 2020's $12 billion. This was recorded as the sharpest decline in the theater industry.

Theatrical entertainment only accounted for 15 percent of the total global revenue, as compared to 2019's 43 percent.

Digital entertainment accelerated in 2020 as revenue climbed to $61.8 billion, which is a 31 percent increase. Currently, there are 1.1 billion online video subscribers worldwide, which is a 26 percent increase from 2019.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

WATCH: AMC Theatres offering all-you-can-eat popcorn for moviegoers during 'Cinema Week' - from KGET News