Under the title Packaging unwrapped, this year’s edition looks at the global trends in consumer packaging, statistical market data drawn from a number of sources including Rexam’s own business intelligence, and the key growth drivers in mature and developing markets around the world.
It also includes insight into the evolution of beverage packaging and to what the future may hold. Although acknowledging the turbulence caused by the global economic downturn and an increasingly demanding consumer base, the combined data points to a positive future for the global consumer packaging industry as a whole.
Rexam’s chief executive, Graham Chipchase, said: “Consumer packaging is not only an essential component of modern living, but it makes a positive contribution to a sustainable society. As a global leader, Rexam is constantly seeking to forge closer relationships with customers. This report is a testimony to our ambitions to strengthen these relationships through understanding and anticipating market trends in order to provide product and service solutions that add value to our customers’ business.”
Highlights of the report include:
Megatrends
Since Rexam’s last report, there has been a global economic downturn and the world has gone through much change. Parts of the global economy are showing early signs of recovery and the value of packaging in dollar terms is back at 2008 levels. As can be seen from the data in this report, the long-term prospects for the industry remain promising.
There has been a shift of emphasis from the larger, traditional and mature markets towards emerging markets. This is not to say that the mature markets are unimportant. On the contrary, but the total packaging market value of Asia, for example, is now equal to that of Europe, and the fastest growth rates are to be found in developing countries. Much has been made of the BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India, and China) and their return to centre stage in 2010, and few deny that their growth potential is promising. New acronyms are appearing, such as MAVINS (Mexico, Australia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Nigeria and South Africa), not to mention countries such as Poland and Turkey, as the new frontiers in growth potential.
Why this shift of emphasis? Because consumer packaging is an essential component of modern living. It also makes a positive contribution to a sustainable society, making sure that goods reach the consumer in the state intended, preventing waste and spoilage.
Beverage consumption and packaging trends
The Rexam report details regional and global consumption and packaging trends in beer, carbonated soft drinks, energy drinks, and ready to drink iced tea.
The global commercial beverage market was around 1.6trn litres in 2010, an increase of 3% on 2009. This figure equates to the average consumer drinking 231 litres a year. Consumption levels and growth rates, however, differ widely by beverage type and region.
The US remains the largest market for beverages, with annual consumption at 564 litres per person, followed closely by Western Europe, consuming 558 litres per person. These markets have witnessed some decline over recent years, especially in categories such as carbonated soft drinks, where they face increasing competition from other beverages. Consumption in Eastern Europe stands at 455 litres per person, catching up with drinking consumption levels of Western Europe.
The declines experienced in the more mature markets, however, are being offset by volume migration to the developing markets of Asia, South America and the Middle East and Africa. In Asia the average consumption rate is 167 litres per person. This low consumption highlights how much potential remains unexploited, especially when compared with the high consumption levels experienced in the US and Europe. It is interesting to note that Asia’s strong growth over recent years means that it now accounts for one in every four litres of soft drinks sold globally. Similarly, South America has experienced solid growth in recent years taking consumption level to 324 litres per person in 2010. Consumption levels in the Middle East and Africa are at similar levels to Asia, 173 litres per person.
The full report can be downloaded from Rexam’s website.
Source: Rexam
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