Metal cans on the rise
Metal cans achieved the highest volume growth of any packaging material in the packaged water category, according to Canadean’s latest soft drinks research.
– In an increasing range of markets the growth of metal cans is driven by the success of flavoured sparkling water, mimicking the look and feel of traditional carbonates, says Chris Strong, analyst at Canadean.
By contrast, carbonates volumes held in metal cans fell by 1% in 2014 as consumers vacate the category in favour of healthier alternatives.
– This is a development which is likely to continue as concerns over sugar intake increase and packaged water erodes further into the carbonates category, adds Strong.
Metal cans offer sustainability advantages and major producers can be expected to continue to invest in developing new technologies for beverage can production, light-weighting techniques and improvement in can functionality. Offering different size formats targeting a range of consumption occasions and consumer groups – for example, smaller versions tapping into the portion control trend, slim versions for premium beverages, value added features such as resealability (e.g. Rexam’s Cap Can) and easier to pour options – all offer profitability opportunities.
In the years ahead, metal will continue to follow the growth trend in the packaged water category and is expected to increase by a further 9% during 2015. All numbers used in this text are based on Canadean's Global Soft Drinks reports, published, October 2015