Can sales increase in Europe

Beverage can sales increased by 6% in Europe during the first half of 2011 compared with the same period of 2010, according to industry association Beverage Can Makers Europe.

Soft drinks were the main benefactors of the good weather conditions with a healthy increase in sales of 8% on the comparable period in the first half of 2010.

The beverage can is generally the standard format for the energy drinks category and is consequently a major benefactor of the continued double-digit success of the category. The category remains in the growth stage of its lifecycle and this bodes well for future prospects for both cans and energy drinks.

The economic anxieties of recent times have meant that it has been difficult to sell beer as drinkers shun Europe’s restaurants and bars. However, BCME reports a very encouraging rise in unit sales of between 2 and 3% in the first half of the year. With foot traffic in bars and restaurants sluggish it has been glass and draught beer sales that have been more vulnerable to the drop in demand; the bulk of can sales take place in supermarkets where sales have held up significantly better.

In terms of overall beverage volumes, East Europe was hit harder by the financial crisis of 2008 and volumes are recovering at a quicker rate this year than in West Europe. As a result, the 10% East European can increase is well ahead of neighbouring West Europe’s 5% rise. East Europe makes up just 16% of the regions can sales and there remains plenty of slack in the market to exploit. The West European beverage market is more mature and subsequently more challenging than its neighbour and the 5% can growth is notably encouraging. Beer consumption in West Europe had been wavering even before the economic upheaval of 2008, so the small rise in beer can use in 2011 is worthy of merit.

Stakeholders in the beverage can industry will be buoyed by the fact that the results show that the can market in West Europe is outperforming the overall beverage market in the region; as a packaging format, cans are taking share from other beverage packaging alternatives. Beverage researchers Canadean report that soft drinks in Europe increased by 2% in the first half of the year in contrast to can growth of as much as 8%. Overall European beer sales edged forward by 0.4% again well behind the rise in beer can sales of between 2 and 3%.

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