Cinemark is giving AMC CEO Adam Aron’s love for popcorn a real run for its money. This year’s National Popcorn Day event at Cinemark is being expanded to two days (from one), and the mountains of popcorn are being piled even higher — for certain Lowe’s customers that is.
It’s important to note high up that we’re referring to L-o-w-e-s Lowe’s the home improvement center and not L-o-e-w-s Loew’s, the movie-theater chain that was merged with Cinemark’s rival AMC 20 years ago this month. Fun coincidence though.
For Jan. 18 and 19, the latter of which is the actual National Popcorn Day, Cinemark will fill your own container (BYO!) with up to 400 ounces of popcorn for just $5 plus tax. It was the same deal last year, except without the inclusion of the 18th. (This year’s National Popcorn Day falls on a Monday; Jan. 19, 2025 was a Sunday. Cinemark still wanted to give moviegoers a Sunday.)
This time around, there’s also a new container hack. Those who bring in a five-gallon Lowe’s bucket can get the whole thing, about 650 ounces of capacity, filled to the brim. Just, like, don’t bring one that you’ve previously filled with paint or ice-melt salt. Food-grade bucket liners will be available upon request — use them.
These Lowe’s bucket-users will also receive a coupon for “future popcorn cravings valid Feb. 1 through Feb. 26,” the exhibitor chain said. And look, the buckets will come in handy later anyway, when you can use them for actual home improvement things.
“Last year’s Bring Your Own Bucket event for National Popcorn Day reimagined what this holiday could be for all movie-popcorn lovers, as people showed incredible creativity with their vessels and made the celebration truly unforgettable for both guests and our theater teams,” Wanda Gierhart Fearing, Cinemark’s chief marketing and content officer, said in a statement. “This year, we are thrilled to build on that fun by teaming up with Lowe’s to make the experience even bigger and better. With two full days of festivities as well as special sweepstakes and promotions, we cannot wait to see how much this year’s celebration will heat up.”
“At Cinemark, popcorn is more than just a snack, it is the star of the show,” David Haywood, Cinemark’s senior vice president of food and beverage, added. “Last year, Cinemark theaters sold nearly 5 billion ounces of our craveable popcorn. We start with the highest-quality kernels and pop them to perfection for that irresistible crunch and flavor. On National Popcorn Day, we are celebrating the gold standard that makes every magical movie moment pop.”
Those without any sort of a container (read: renters) can just opt for an XL (or any size) popcorn bucket for the same $5.
The XL buckets are as much a tool here as anything Lowe’s sells. At 200 ounces apiece, Cinemark’s concessions workers measure just scoop an XL twice into whatever weird thing you bring in. (For the Lowe’s bucket hack, they just top it off after about three full XL scoops.)
There’s one more hack here: you don’t actually have to go and see a movie with this popcorn. Since movie-ticket purchases are not necessary, customers can just grab a bucket and a fiver (plus tax), and Netflix and chill with way too much popcorn for however many people fit on your couch. Considering what Netflix has done to the theatrical industry, that specific option is probably not Cinemark’s intention.
“Helpfulness is at the heart of the Lowe’s brand, and it shows up in the everyday moments customers share with family and friends — even a night at the movies,” said Jen Wilson, senior vice president and chief marketing officer at Lowe’s. “Our iconic blue bucket brings utility and delight wherever it goes, including the theater. Teaming up with Cinemark is a fun, simple way to give families even more value from something they already rely on throughout the year.”
Cinemark has more than 300 U.S. theatres; AMC has twice that. The two biggest film-exhibitor chains in the country combined have only about half as many Lowe’s stores (more than 1,700) as there are in America. We like movies, but we love drywall.
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