• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, March 22, 2010

According to a new consumer survey conducted by Market Force Information, nearly 70% of consumers said they planned on going to the movie theatre in the first three months of 2010, and one third of those said they planned on seeing three or more movies by the end of March.

One out of two respondents pointed to the experience of viewing a movie on the big screen as the reason for going to a theatre instead of watching a movie in the comfort of their own home. One third of respondents said they did not want to wait to see the latest release, and one quarter also listed that they liked going to the theatre with friends.

These results support the emphasis that studios and exhibitors alike are placing on the overall theatre experience, from focusing on comfortable seating and clean facilities to investing in the latest in digital effects and sound quality.

People are also looking for alternative ways to watch movies on their own schedules and at a lower price, driving movie consumption even higher. In this area, the biggest growth story in movie consumption, says the report, is the explosion of kiosk movie rentals. More than four in 10 consumers reported they are using in-store or mall kiosks such as RedBox to rent the latest movie on DVD, surpassing the 36% that rent from physical stores.

Even more telling is that 26% of consumers said they will increase their use of kiosk DVD rentals, the highest percentage of any of the movie rental options. Almost one in five expect to rent less frequently from stores in the future, while online rentals such as Netflix and Blockbuster Online are being used by 27% of the consumers surveyed, and 21% said they expect that to increase.

When asked what drives them to seek out a new movie, more than 70% of consumers said television ads, followed by movie trailers that they see in-theatre. Recommendations from friends and written movie reviews were also cited by three in 10 consumers.

The survey was conducted in December 2009 from the Market Force network of more than 300,000 consumers. The pool of 3,000 respondents ranged in age from 19-72 and reflected a broad spectrum of income levels, with approximately half reporting incomes of more than $50,000 a year. Approximately 75% were women, the primary household consumer purchasers. Half had children at home.

For additional information, please see the Market Force presentation here.