Blockbuster sales at cinema chain Everyman

Upmarket cinema brand Everyman has revealed a jump in annual revenue after opening a raft of new venues as part of its expansion drive.

Its 200-seater, three-screen site in Glasgow opened in October, one of five openings in 2018. Picture: Contributed

The boutique cinema operator, which launched its first site north of the Border in Glasgow last year, saw sales climb 27.7 per cent to £51.9 million for the 53 weeks ended 3 January. This was on the back of a 25 per cent rise in admissions, with 2.8 million tickets sold in the period.

Underlying earnings rose to £9.2m, up from £6.6m in the previous financial year.

Everyman launched a total of five new venues in the last 12 months, growing its estate to 26 sites and 84 screens.

It has a committed to a further 14 sites, one of which is to open in Edinburgh’s St James Quarter, and is set to launch its first mobile app in the coming months. Average headcount at the chain rose by 100 to 777.

Executive chairman Paul Wise said the results demonstrated “the power of cinema during times of economic uncertainty”.