New ‘handy can’ size from Ball
A new compact can has been launched by Ball Packaging Europe. Pepsi Max, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi are the first drinks to be sold in the new 25cl format in the UK.
The shorter and more compact 25cl can format is designed to stand out from the normal and attract attention at the point of sale.
Known as the ‘Handy Can’, at 25cl the filling volume is the same as that of the sleek can, but its diameter is the same as that of a standard 33cl can, making it much shorter.
Due to their lightness, cans are the ideal packaging for people on the move. And thanks to its compact shape, the Handy Can fits perfectly into handbags and picnic baskets. Pepsi Max, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi are on sale now. The brands 7UP Free and Tango will be available in the new 25cl size from next spring.
The Handy Can allows Britvic and PepsiCo UK to fill a gap in the market. Already successful with 33cl cans in the four, six and eight-pack segment, both were looking for an innovative new can format that would meet the needs of the consumer and support its entry into further pack sizes.
Noel Clarke, brand controller at Britvic, said: “From our research we know that consumers buy based on the number of cans inside a multipack. The more cans in a multipack, the more consumption occasions there are and the more cans are there to share.”
The Handy Can Pepsi Max, Diet Pepsi and Pepsi will be on sale in a variety of pack sizes of 10, 12, 15, 18, 24, 30 and 36 cans, available in new cardboard packs that are easy to carry home, store and recycle.
The new steel can was developed in a close collaboration between Ball and Britvic. Both companies invested in adjusting machines and equipment at the production facility in Rugby. The two factories are located next to each other in Rugby and connected by a tunnel, which not only facilitated collaboration, but also means that the Handy Can has a particularly low carbon footprint, as there is no distance to travel between production and filling.
Ball’s Handy Can is in keeping with the trend towards new container sizes. Back in 1993, the standard 33cl or 50cl cans dominated the European market with 93 per cent of sales. There were only nine other can sizes and formats available which shared the remaining seven percent of the market. At 84 percent in 2009, standard cans (33cl, 33cl sleek and 50cl) were not as dominant as before and a wider variety of can sizes and formats began to appear. At this point the European Union had suspended the regulations for food and drinks packaging sizes (excluding wine and spirits), which allowed more variety for marketers.
“Individual container formats help beverage producers to differentiate between brands and position them better on the retail shelf,” explains Geoff Courtney, regional sales manager at Ball Packaging Europe.
Consumer research has also shown that many consumers, in particular women, appreciate the option of choosing smaller can sizes.
“Consumers especially appreciate the convenience of the metal packaging and the fresh drinking experience“, adds Courtney. “Beverage cans are easy to store in the fridge and cool down more quickly than other beverage packages.”
