Should Breweries Use Bottles Or Cans For Beer? Linx Printing Technologies

Overview Advantages of Cans –Light –Oxygen –Transport –Structure Advantages of Bottles –Consumer attitudes and beliefs –Look and feel –Supermarkets –Market Share –Shorter Production Runs How Linx can help 2

Advantages of Cans They don’t allow light in They don’t allow oxygen in They are cheap and easy to transport They are robust and don’t smash

Cans Prevent Light From Interfering With Beer Cans are made from aluminium which prevents UV rays from passing through container Important because exposure to UV rays can ruin the taste of beer Bottles that are brown/green help to prevent this, but are not as effective as aluminium.

Cans Are 100% Air Tight Properly sealed cans create an air-impenetrable layer This helps to prevent oxidation, which leads to stale beer Bottle caps are not 100% air tight, meaning that oxidation will occur faster

Cans Are Cheap and Easy to Transport Cans are considerably lighter than bottles This means lower shipping costs, and a lower carbon footprint for the supplier Also means that cans are great for taking on hikes or other outdoor activities

Cans Are Robust Aluminium cans, unlike glass bottles, don’t smash when they are dropped This saves cost and hassle for both suppliers and consumers

Advantages of Bottles Consumer belief that they offer superior drinking experience Elegant look and feel Supermarket expansion for artisan bottled beer Bottle beers still account for large % of sales Bottles are better for short production runs

Consumer Beliefs There is a deeply ingrained perception amongst many consumers that bottled beers offer a superior ‘drinking experience’ Canned beers are often seen as cheap and inferior products

Look and Feel Bottled beers are perceived to have an elegant look and feel Synonymous with a ‘premium’ product as opposed to canned beers

The Influence of Supermarkets Supermarkets devote ever-expanding shelf space to ‘artisan’ bottled beers Canned beer section often consists purely of continental style lagers with little room for independent craft beers “Supermarkets are offering increased shelf space. Sales of boutique beers are set to grow 43 per cent by 2015.” (CGA Strategy)

Market Share of Bottles popular at 85% with microbreweries 15% Bottled beers still account for a large percentage of beer sales (accounting for 80%) This is in contrast to in the US, where 330ml cans are hugely popular 2% In the UK, Casks most Cask Bottle Keg

Bottles Better For Short Production Runs Bottles are more cost effective than cans where a short production run is taking place Perfect for breweries who produce limited runs of each beer Smaller breweries will be looking to move from barrelled beer to bottled beer as a first step, before considering canned beer 75% of UK microbreweries have some bottled production

How Linx Can Help Many larger breweries desire the flexibility of being able to utilise both cans and bottles The Linx CJ400 is perfect for this purpose, as it can code on to cans and bottles This offers flexibility between production lines, meaning that the brewery can take advantage of the benefits of both cans and bottles

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