Aluminium closures now have a global market share of just under 30 percent for wine bottles* as a market study conducted by Euromonitor shows.
Specifically, of the 30 billion bottles sold worldwide in 2016, around 9 billion were fitted with an aluminium closure. This trend is particularly evident in Europe and the USA, the two largest market regions for wines.
Wine market Europe
Europe remained the largest market for bottled wines in 2016 with over 17 billion units, according to a study by IWSR, converted into 0.75-litre bottles. Both market studies show that demand for bottled wine in Europe and the USA fell by 5.3 and 6.4 per cent respectively between 2012 and 2016. In contrast, aluminium closures grew by 14.5% during this period; the average annual growth rate during this period was 5.2%.
Guido Aufdemkamp, who represents the Aluminium Closure Group within the European Aluminium Foil Association (EAFA), explains: „These market reports support the growing realisation that aluminium closures offer major advantages over other wine closures. Thanks to their ease of use, good branding and attractive design options, more and more winemakers are turning to aluminium closures. Although the number of 0.75-litre bottled wines fell by 2.8 per cent to 28.3 billion units between 2012 and 2016 according to the IWSR, Euromonitor shows that the Volume of wine bottles sold worldwide stable overall has remained. This data is based on a more nuanced research approach that identifies a higher number than many other sources cited in the media and elsewhere.“
Growth market USA
The United States continues to be an important market for wines with aluminium closures. According to the IWSR study, sales figures for wine in 0.75-litre bottles rose by 4.4% in 2016 compared to the previous year. In absolute figures, sales totalled 3.8 billion bottles. Euromonitor confirms that 44.9% of all wine bottles sold in the USA in 2016 were fitted with aluminium closures. The average annual growth rate for aluminium closures in the USA over the five-year period under review was 6%.
„The acceptance of aluminium closures is really high worldwide. Especially younger and new wine consumers have a strong preference for screw caps. Consumers are convinced by the simple, practical handling, as a survey conducted as part of our Turn 360° campaign has shown. And not to forget: These closures are completely recyclable and thus meet the current demand for more sustainable packaging services“, summarises Guido Aufdemkamp.
Sources: Euromonitor International, IWSR and EAFA
*Sparkling wines are not included in the market analyses cited here.
