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20112012201320142015517444549628511843319449514742359382515044419591529645239819CansRefillable glassNon-refillable glassRefillable PETNon-refillable PET SOFT DRINKS BEERCAN FILLINGS FOR BEER AND SOFT DRINKS, 2011-2015 (MILLIONS OF UNITS). FIGURES INCLUDE UK AND IRELANDAfter several years of sustained growth, 2015 saw a slight dip in UK shipments of beverage cans, with total fillings falling by 1.9% to 9.6bn. The soft drinks and beer sectors both witnessed a small decline – with poor summer weather proving to be a significant factor.Indeed, the unpredictable weather saw the UK endure its wettest summer for three years, while the lack of a major sporting event to excite the entire nation and drive beverage sales also impacted fillings. The country did play host to the 2015 Rugby World Cup during September and October, but this wasn’t expected to enhance consumer demand for canned beverages on quite the same scale as the Football World Cup in 2014, and any potential boost offered by the event was limited further by the early elimination of England and the failure of Scotland, Wales and Ireland to progress further than the quarterfinals. Despite this, it was encouraging to note that in the take-home sector, beer and cider in cans significantly outsold bottles throughout the tournament.Domestic fillings were also affected by an increase in the number of soft drinks and beer cans being filled abroad and imported to the UK for retail sale. This means that while deliveries of cans for beer and cider fell by 1.5% during 2015, Nielsen reported that retail sales actually remained level with 2014, with strong growth witnessed in the cider sector. Indeed, cans now account for over 50% of cider volume, with this 2.7% increase in market share helped by the strong performance of fruit flavoured cider in 33cl size cans, which grew by 50% in the year. Craft beer in cans is also becoming an established part of the UK take-home beer market, with new ways to market for brewers though mobile filling lines, in-house lines, and contract fillers targeting smaller volume brewers. Craft beer in cans was introduced onto the shelves of major supermarkets in 2015 – a significant step in building consumer recognition and sales volume. Support is also being offered to this market with the Indie Beer Can Advice line (www.indiebeercanadvice.co.uk) introduced in 2015, aimed at brewers looking for information on canning their beers.Soft drinks in cans also reported strong retail sales in 2015, despite domestic shipments of soft drinks cans falling by 2.3%, with Nielsen reporting an impressive 4.5% increase in retail sales, and cans also took a further 1% market share from PET bottles. An increase in the sales of 24- and 30-can multipacks was also witnessed in 2015, with sales of 24 packs doubling according to Nielsen, no doubt reflecting the value these packs offered shoppers.UNITED KINGDOMA WET SUMMER CONTRIBUTES TO A FALL IN FILLINGS, BUT RETAIL SALES REMAIN STRONG IN EUROPE’S LARGEST CANNED BEVERAGE MARKET TOTAL CAN 9.6BNFILLINGS DOWN 1.9%BEER CAN 4.45BNFILLINGS DOWN 1.5%SOFT DRINKS CAN 5.2BNFILLINGS DOWN 2.3%Source: Industry estimates based on consumptionMARKET SNAPSHOT• Beer and soft drinks fillings fall due, in part, to wet summer weather• Despite unpredictable weather, cans perform well in the retail market in 2015• Brand owners and consumers continue to recognise the benefits of cansA YEAR IN NUMBERSBEER - SHARE OF MARKET BY PACK TYPE, 2015 (VOLUME)SOFT DRINKS - SHARE OF MARKET BY PACK TYPE, 2015 (VOLUME) 25% Cans 1% Refillable glass 3% Non-refillable glass 71% Non-refillable PET 68% Cans 32% Non-refillable glass44 EUROPEAN CAN MARKET REPORT 2016 COUNTRY REPORTS