© Oren Rozen
There was a dip in UK deliveries of drinks cans last year, according to the industry body that represents British can manufacturers.
The Can Makers said that there were 9.628bn drinks can deliveries in 2015 – a fall of 1.9% on the year before. It blamed unpredictable weather and the country’s wettest summer for three years for the decline. The sector was also affected by the lack of a global sporting event on the scale of the 2014 Football World Cup, as well as an increase in the number of carbonated soft drinks and beer cans filled abroad and imported to UK for retail sale.
Deliveries of cans for beer and cider were 4.454bn – a reduction of 1.5% on 2014 – but Nielsen reported strong growth in retail sales of canned cider. This was led by the performance of fruit cider in 33cl cans, which grew by 50% year on year. Craft beer in cans also performed well in 2015, with many new labels now established in the off-trade and on supermarket shelves.
In the soft drinks sector, shipments of cans were 5.174bn – a reduction of 2.3%, though Nielsen reported retail sales of canned soft drinks growing by 4.5% in 2015, with cans taking 1% market share from PET bottles. In both the soft drinks and beer sectors, there has been an emphasis in 2015 on multipacks of at least 18 cans, which the Can Makers said was a reflection on the attractive retail propositions that multipacks offer.
Martin Constable, chairman of the Can Makers, said: “Despite the unpredictable weather, cans have performed well in the retail market in 2015 with brand owners and consumers recognising their benefits for beer, cider and soft drinks.”
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