Popcorn supplies are literally piling up in the US thanks to theatre closures

With 2020 having been tipped thoroughly on its head thanks to the ongoing global health crisis, the arts and entertainment industry has been particularly hard-hit by the changes in our lifestyles. For popcorn producers, retail sales have skyrocketed, but their contracts with movie theatres have all but stopped, due to these sites being shut down for the duration of the crisis.

With many of us being confined to our homes for far longer periods of time than we're used to, sales of microwave popcorn have surged. Unfortunately, due to the shutdown of movie theatres, suppliers to these outlets are having to store significantly larger amounts of unpopped kernels than ever before.

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Since the movie industry has been put on hold, one brand in particular - Preferred Popcorn - says they have had to build seven new massive silos to hold all the unsold popcorn kernels. That's enough for around 80 million theatre tubs of delicious popcorn!

Sadly the shelf life of unpopped corn is only around a year before it becomes too dry to 'pop.' This means that many brands have had to look for new ways to market their products to adapt to the changing market landscape.

One outlet 'Misfits Market' has teamed up with Preferred to pack 28oz household bags of theatre-grade popcorn to market to household customers. This time of popcorn is actually different to usual household popcorn; Being called 'butterfly popcorn' this is the type that produces the lovely large, fluffy flakes we're used to seeing at theatres across the states.

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These bags are branded with the Preferred Popcorn logos to appeal to customers that recognise the brand, with the aim of helping both Misfits and Preferred bolster their businesses during this strange time.

So if you're craving popcorn for your next home theatre showing, you may be able to get your hands on top-quality theatre popcorn for retail prices - keep an eye out on the shelves of your local grocery store, as there are bargains to be had out there!