In a year that has seen the warmest, driest and sunniest summer since 2006, and despite the coldest spring since 1962, according to the UK Met Office, beer and cider and carbonated soft drinks can markets grew.
Within the beer and cider category, empty can deliveries were up by almost 5%, bringing the total to 4,440 million. In the Nielsen universe, though the lager and ale markets were relatively flat, the market for cider in cans increased by 11%.
For cider, smaller can multipacks were particularly popular, with four-packs increasing by 8%, accounting for over a quarter of the market. Within the overall sector, the smaller sized cans (eg 33cl) increased by 10% and larger multipacks also performed well.
In the CSD market, 5,149 million empty cans were delivered, up marginally on 2012. According to Nielsen, 50cl cans, driven predominantly by energy drinks, remain the jewel in the CSD crown. This size continued to grow faster than the category as a whole, up 21% on 2012.
CSDs in the impulse sector showed the strongest performance, as on-the-go consumption continued to rise in popularity, up 3%. Across the board, the rate of smaller pack growth overtook the larger multipacks, with single can sales and four-packs both up 7%, reflecting the continued impact of the economic situation on buying habits and on-the-go consumption.
In grocery multiples, where 87% of can sales were in multipacks, 10-packs continued to be the fastest-growing pack size.
“I’m delighted that the can market has topped 9.5 billion,” said Graham Fenton, chairman of the UK Can Makers. “It shows that the drinks can remains a pack of choice for brewers and soft drink companies, retailers and consumers alike. It’s a real achievement in a year which has lacked the stimulus of big sporting events, and saw the UK still suffering from tough economic times.
“Though the year got off to a cold start, a good British summer has undoubtedly given the market a much-needed lift, bringing more opportunity to enjoy picnics, barbecues and other occasions where drinks in cans are consumed.”
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