Strong Canned Drink Sales Reported Despite Small Dip in Can Market

January 2016

Following a year of unpredictable weather and the UK’s wettest summer for three years, the Can Makers, the industry trade body representing UK drinks can manufacturers, have reported a dip in UK can deliveries. Drinks can deliveries were 9.628bn, a fall of 1.9% on 2014. The sector was 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 drink (CSDs) and beer cans filled abroad and imported to UK for retail sale.

Deliveries of cans for beer and cider were 4,454 million, a reduction on 2014 of 1.5%, however Nielsen report retail sales of cans of beer and cider, level with 2014, and strong growth in retail sales of cider in cans. 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 on off trade and on supermarket shelves.

In the soft drinks sector, shipments of cans were 5,174 million a reduction of 2.3%, but Nielsen report retail sales of cans of 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 18+ size multi packs, no doubt reflecting the attractive retail propositions on offer.

Martin Constable, Chairman of the UK Can Makers comments: “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.”