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201120122013201420152867322332873051307031673084320229133018SOFT DRINKSBEERSOFT DRINKSBEERSOFT DRINKSBEERSOFT DRINKSBEERSOFT DRINKSBEERBENELUXCAN FILLINGS FALL IN PART DUE TO THE LACK OF A MAJOR SPORTING EVENT IN 2015, BUT THE PACK GAINS MARKET SHARE OF THE PACKAGED BEER AND SOFT DRINKS SECTORSBeverage can fillings in the Benelux region (which includes Belgium and the Netherlands) witnessed a slight decrease of around 2.4% in 2015, with a year-on-year fall of 12.9% in Belgium offset slightly by a 1.3% increase in can fillings in the Netherlands.Belgium saw fillings of both beer and soft drinks decline (by 9.3% and 16.7% respectively) as some volumes were moved to new filling lines in France. Beer fillings also decreased in the Netherlands, with volumes down 11.7%. Both countries enjoy large export markets, especially for their world-renowned beer brands, and the decrease in fillings can partly be attributed to the lack of a major international football tournament in 2015, which is often a large driver for beer fillings for both the domestic and export markets. Despite this, the beer market within Benelux remains in good health, with an increasing number of craft breweries emerging and strong growth seen in other types of beer, as consumers shift away from traditional lager. More and more consumers are now looking for new or unique tastes and are becoming more sophisticated in their choice of beer. This has led to strong growth in categories such as ale, dark beer, premium lager and stout, while many other consumers are seeking more refreshing beers and beers with a lower level of alcohol. This has subsequently also led to growth in sales of flavoured/mixed lager and non/low alcohol beer.The changing tastes of consumers have also been noted within the soft drinks sector, with the growing popularity of healthy soft drinks, such as those BELGIUM NETHERLANDSCAN FILLINGS FOR BEER AND SOFT DRINKS 2011-2015 (MILLIONS OF UNITS)containing natural ingredients and those that are naturally lower in sugar. Major launches in this category included stevia-based carbonates such as Coca-Cola Life and Finley, with a range of sugar substitutes introduced.Cans have proven to be a popular package choice for both these trends, with craft brewers (such as Belgo Sapiens, see case study) choosing the can to stand out from competitors, and sleek, slim-line cans already well established in consumers’ minds as a relevant package for healthy drinks.In both Belgium and the Netherlands, cans have therefore increased their share of the packaged beer market at the expense of refillable glass bottles, while the package also gained market share from non-refillable PET bottles in the soft drinks sector in both countries.TOTAL CAN 4.7BNFILLINGS UP 1.3%BEER SHARE OF MARKET BY PACK TYPE, 2015 34% Cans 54% Refillable glass 12% Non-refillable glassSOFT DRINKS SHARE OF MARKET BY PACK TYPE, 2015 14% Cans 5% Refillable glass 1% Refillable PET 80% Non-refillable PETBEER CAN 2.1BNFILLINGS DOWN 11.7%SOFT DRINKS CAN 2.6BNFILLINGS UP 14.9%Source: Industry estimates based on consumptionA YEAR IN NUMBERSNETHERLANDSMARKET SNAPSHOT• Total number of can fillings increases• Can increases share of packaged beer and soft drinks market in both the Netherlands and Belgium• Soft drink fillings boosted by growing popularity of healthy soft drinks54 EUROPEAN CAN MARKET REPORT 2016 COUNTRY REPORTS