Page 50

20112012201320142015332216985020311010224132297012984268328014024682346116845145CansRellable glassNon-rellable glassRellable PETNon-rellable PETAlthough total can fillings in France decreased by 2.4% in 2015 – with soft drinks fillings down 4% and beer fillings up slightly by 0.9%. This decrease in fillings can be attributed to the over-storage made by fillers during the last quarter of 2014 – just before the introduction of the ban on the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) in food and beverage packaging. Ahead of this ban, can makers worked closely with fillers to develop and introduce new cans that featured BPA NI (non-intent) coatings, but this has not been reflected in 2015’s figures – with many fillers opting to exhaust their remaining supplies of can stock from 2014 before switching to the new cans.Despite this, and other factors such as the ongoing trend away from sugary drinks, consumer appetite for soft drinks remained high in France during 2015, with retail volumes increasing by 3.7% and the can gaining market share over other pack types in the off-premise sector.The growth in retail volumes for beer was equally impressive, driven by the rise in popularity of craft beers from microbreweries. The can benefited from this, with fillings up by 0.9%, year-on-year, and retail volumes increasing by 2.9%, as French demand for beer in cans continues to grow. FRANCERETAIL SALES FOR CANS OF BOTH SOFT DRINKS AND BEER REMAIN STRONG IN FRANCE, AS THE COUNTRY ADJUSTS TO NEW BPA LEGISLATIONTOTAL CAN 5BNFILLINGS DOWN 2.4%BEER CAN 1.7BNFILLINGS UP 0.9%SOFT DRINKS CAN 3.3BNFILLINGS DOWN 4%Source: Industry estimates based on consumptionMARKET SNAPSHOT• French fillings witness slight decline as market adjusts to new legislation• Cans gain greater share of soft drinks market• Retail sales of beer and soft drinks in cans remains strongA YEAR IN NUMBERSBEER - SHARE OF MARKET BY PACK TYPE, 2015 (VOLUME) 34% Cans 3% Refillable glass 63% Non-refillable glassSOFT DRINKS - SHARE OF MARKET BY PACK TYPE, 2015 (VOLUME) 24% Cans 2% Refillable glass 1% Non-refillable glass 73% Non-refillable PET SOFT DRINKS BEERCAN FILLINGS FOR BEER AND SOFT DRINKS, 2011-2015(MILLIONS OF UNITS)Indeed, the beer sector has been the driving force behind French can fillings for a number of years, with volumes tripling over the course of the last decade. And while beer accounted for only 15% of all cans filled in France in 2005, that proportion has now risen to 34% in 2015.And while soft drinks fillings declined slightly in 2015, the much-publicised support of major fillers has boosted the can’s image, with Orangina and Badoit both demonstrating their commitment to the package through the launch of new sleek can formats in 2015, which were heavily backed by national advertising campaigns.The attitude of French consumers towards the can therefore remains very positive, with people recognising the package’s on-the-go convenience, its sustainability credentials and its single-serve benefits.CONSUMER APPETITE FOR SOFT DRINKS REMAINED HIGH WITH RETAIL VOLUMES INCREASING BY 3.7%… THE GROWTH IN RETAIL VOLUMES FOR BEER WAS EQUALLY IMPRESSIVE, DRIVEN BY THE RISE IN POPULARITY OF CRAFT BEERS 50 EUROPEAN CAN MARKET REPORT 2016 COUNTRY REPORTS