Review of Russian Market of Glass Containers

During last 10 years food processing industry was intensively increasing consumption of plastic, cardboard and aluminum package on the background of relative decrease of glass container consumption. Yet recent trend is gradual recover of interest to traditional glass package, inarguable advantages of which are correspondence to sanitary norms, usage of natural raw materials, see-through features, no interaction with content, and wide diversity of design and types.

The article highlights main peculiarities and trends of Russian market of glass bottles revealed by the research executed by MRA “Business-Rating” in March 2007.

Investigation of the market of glass containers showed that this package type is preferred by 45% of beer consumers, by more than 80% of consumers of other alcoholic drinks, and by 10–15% of sauce consumers.

Main consumers of glass containers in Russian Federation are manufacturers of alcoholic beverages. * Thus dynamics of demand for glass bottles is determined by production dynamics of alcoholic drinks including beer, vodka, liquors, hard drinks, wines and wine beverages. In 2006 beer accounted for 85% in total output of alcoholic drinks, vodka and liquors covered 10%, wines and wine drinks – 5%.

In 2006 output of alcoholic beverages constituted 1183.8 million decaliters which was by 10% more than in 2005 and by 80% more than in 2000.** The highest increase was demonstrated by still/sparkling grape wines and beer. Still grape wines grew by 48% as compared to 2005 and by 3.9 times as compared to 2000. Increase of champagne/sparkling grape wines constituted 8% as compared to 2005, and in comparison to 2000 output increased by 2.5 times. Average annual increase of beer constituted 8–11%. As compared to 2000 production of this beverage increased by 1.86 times. Vodka on the contrary demonstrated output reduction by 9% as compared to 2005. Production of this hard drink during the review period constituted on the average about 120 000 thousand decaliters annually.

Production of other alcoholic drinks including fruit/berry wines in 2006 reduced by 4 times as compared to 2000.

DEMAND OF THE MARKET OF ALCOHOLIC DRINKS FOR GLASS BOTTLE
Beer market
Beer brewing industry uses not only glass bottles but also aluminum cans and PET containers for beer bottling. Distribution of every price segment between different package types is specific.

Share of low-price beer constitutes 15–16% of total beer production. PET containers of various sizes account for about 70% of this segment, while 0.5 liter glass bottle has about 30% of it. Aluminum can is rarely used for low-price beer.

Over 52–54% of all brewed beer is middle-price, and glass bottles account for more than 30% of this segment.
Premium beer constitutes 21–23% of production. Glass bottle dominates among other types of containers used for expensive domestic beer – 65% of the segment.

License beer demonstrates healthy performance: in 2006 it reached 9.1% of total beer output while in 2005 this index equaled 7.4%. Demand for license beer grows most rapidly as compared to other price categories of bottled beer due to increasing activity of key market operators introducing international brands to Russian market. Lion’s share of license beer – 95% – is sold in glass.

Currently about 45% of beer is bottled into glass. Consumer polls executed by different companies prove it – share of buyers preferring beer in glass constitutes 44–45%.

In 2006 general demand for beer glass bottle constituted 9 billion units including return containers share of which accounts for 40–60%.
With annual growth of beer production by 1% – i.e. by 10 million decaliters – demand for glass bottle increases on the average by 90 million units. Considering this and forecasted increase of beer consumption (to reach 1200 000 thousand decaliters in 2010***) total demand for beer glass containers could account for about 10.8 billion units – increase about 1.8 billion units – including return containers.
Thus key trends of beer market determining increase of glass container consumption are:

• growing demand for license and premium beer;
• reducing share of return glass containers;
• construction of new breweries in provincial regions of Russian Federation.

Vodka and liquor market

According to Rosstat, production of vodka and liquors reached 119749 thousand decaliters in 2006. Estimated demand for transparent colorless 0.5 liter glass bottle for vodka and liquors is at least 2.4 billion units including return containers share of which constitutes 10–20%. Taking into consideration the fact that production of vodka has set on the level of 120000 – 125000 million decaliters annually no significant numeric increase of demand for glass containers can be expected in the nearest future – until 2010. Meanwhile requirements to quality and design of glass containers would get more severe.

Market of wine and other alcoholic beverages

In 2006 production of still/sparkling grape wines and other alcoholic drinks constituted aggregately 65396 thousand decaliters.
Recent trend of Russian wine market is usage of aseptic cardboard package TetraPak – in 2006 about 10000 thousand decaliters or 100 million liters were packed into it. This package type is used practically by all large market operators. Popularity of TetraPak in wine industry is explained by market experts by convenience, longer shelf life and attractive price****. Considering all the above, consumption of 0.5 liter glass bottle by the review market in 2006 can be estimated at 740 million units.

Due to intensive production growth of still/sparkling wines estimated output of these beverages would constitute 125000 thousand decaliters annually in the period up to 2010, thus increasing consumption of glass containers by this market up to 1.4 billion units annually provided share of TetraPak in 2010 constitutes 20%.

Thus key trends of glass container consumption by the market of alcoholic and alcohol-free beverages are:

• growing demand for license and premium brands of alcoholic drinks, and also for more expensive and high-quality products in glass containers;
• “individualization” of glass package, usage of original glass containers including those with twist-off cap;
• growing demand for transparent colorless glass bottles including light-weight varieties, and also for dressing services for glass package;
• reducing share of return containers;
• desire of consumers to reduce shipment costs of glass containers on the territory of Russian Federation;
• displacement of imported glass containers;
• steady growth of unit prices for glass containers.

FORECASTED CONSUMPTION OF GLASS BOTTLES

MRA “Business-Rating” forecasted consumption of glass bottles in Russia in the period up to 2010 with consideration of dynamics of alcoholic beverages. Estimation was based on the following data:

• growth of beer consumption can reach 85 liters per person annually*****, or about 5%;
• increase of vodka and liquors consumption constitutes 2% annually;
• increase of wine consumption constitutes 20% annually;
• increase of champagne consumption constitutes 8% annually;
• increase of consumption of other beverages bottled into glass constitutes 3% annually.

Thus, to satisfy demand of beverage industry for glass bottles required production should constitute at least 15.2 billion units where new containers should account for 12 billion units annually.

According to Rosstat, in 2006 total production of glass containers in Russian Federation constituted 9.8 billion units with share of glass bottle about 90% or 8.7 billion units.

To satisfy growing demand for glass containers key market operators announce enlargement of existing production facilities. According to experts of MRA “Business-Rating”, provided all announced investment projects are fulfilled in 2008–2010 total production of glass containers can reach 17–17.5 billion units annually with glass bottle accounting for at least 14–15 billion units while domestic demand would be at least 12 billion units.

Thus, Russia can satisfy growing demand for glass containers. Competitiveness of manufacturers of glass containers will first of all depend on offered product range and product quality, as well as involved equipment, technologies and know-how, provision of quality raw materials, and distance from production facility to would-be consumers.

* Here and below the category of alcoholic drinks includes beer.
** Data of Rosstat.
*** On the basis of up to 85 liters per capita a year, according to Union of Russian Brewers.
**** http://www.e-xecutive.ru/news/piece_17184.
***** Estimation of Union of Russian Brewers.

Tatiana Vyugina, Elena Nikonova