With the plethora of new aluminum beer bottles, you’d think the beer industry in the USA is growing.
It actually isn’t. At least, not the industry as a whole. In fact, 2011 marks the third straight year of declines in total beer sales in the USA. Total beer volume in the USA actually dropped 1.3% in 2011. No doubt, the recession has been part of the problem. But it could also be partly blamed on the maturity of the industry.
Interestingly enough, craft beer sales bucked this downward trend and actually grew by 15%, according to the Brew
er’s Association. Clearly, new products can help sales grow, or at least slow down sales declines in more mature markets.
As I noted in my previous post, aluminum bottles can help boost “shelf appeal” of even old products. It is no surprise that major brewers have added aluminum bottles to their product lines. Innovative new packaging and new products are key weapons for maintaining growth and indeed, survival.
