EMBARGOED UNTIL: 10 A.M. EST, DECEMBER 10, 1996 (TUESDAY) Public Information Office CB96-207 301-457-3030/301-457-3670 (fax) 301-457-4067 (TDD) e:mail: pio@census.gov Jack Moody 301-457-2689 REFRESHMENT SALES ACCOUNT FOR OVER ONE-FOURTH OF MONEY SPENT AT MOVIE THEATERS, CENSUS BUREAU FINDS Americans spent almost $1.5 billion at refreshment stands and vending machines in the nation's 6,358 motion picture theaters in 1992. That amounted to 26 percent of the $5.7 billion spent at theaters. This is according to a report entitled, "1992 Census of Service Industries, Subject Series, Sources of Receipts or Revenue" (SC92-S-4), released today by the Commerce Department's Census Bureau, that details some useful findings from the 1992 Economic Census on the nation's service industries. Some interesting national facts from the report include: - Sales from rentals of prerecorded video tapes, cassettes, and disks were $4.3 billion at the 22,000 outlet stores in 1992. - The nation's 9,000 physical fitness centers, including gyms and athletic clubs, had receipts of $3.8 billion in 1992. - Revenues at public golf courses totaled $2.3 billion. The report includes 61 tables that provide data on service industries for the nation, states, and metropolitan areas. Sources of receipts or revenue also are available for service industry groups such as laundry, cleaning, garment services; advertising; hospitals; and computer programming, data processing, and other related services. The report also is available on the Internet. The address for this information is: http://www.census.gov/prod/www/titles.html#ser-X-The Census Bureau--preeminent collector and provider of timely, relevant, and quality data about the people and economy for the United States. In over 100 surveys annually and 20 censuses a decade, evolving from the first census in 1790, the Census Bureau provides official information about America's people, businesses, industries, and institutions.
