Nearly six billion cans were produced in France in 2022. Annual figures from GIE La Boîte Boisson, which brings together the three main beverage packaging manufacturers present on French soil*, once again show a booming market in France as in Europe.
With volume sales growth of 3,2% compared to 2021, the bobbin now represents 22,6% of beverage packaging sold in stores, or 0,3 more points compared to 2021. The can thus continues to gain ground over other beverage packaging. Its sales are growing faster than those of plastic (+2,2% by volume) and glass (-1,9% by volume). If the 33 cl format remains the favorite of the French (62% of cans sold in stores), all formats are in progress, with very dynamic emerging formats : +9,7% by volume for the 15 cl mini-can and +14% for the 25 cl can. This records the strongest growth in the beverage market, all formats combined (plastic, glass…).
The can is attracting more and more brands
The can owes this success to its many advantages in line with the expectations of consumers and brands.; made from a permanent material, l’aluminium, it is ultra-light, unbreakable and easily recyclable. Produced in France in eight out of ten cases, she is also, 360 degree printable, a source of creativity for brands. These advantages are attracting more and more brands which are shaking up the codes of traditional markets with the can.. So the offers of wines and specialty beers in cans continue to multiply on the shelves. Recently, the waters have joined the trend.
Les soft-drinks, drivers of can sales
The increase in can sales is driven by the success of soft drink cans, which continue to gain market share from other beverage packaging. In 2022, their sales increased by 5,7% by volume. Value, the can now represents a third of the turnover of this segment. In 2022, the share of cans in sales of soft drinks in stores has increased to 0,5 points to reach the historic share of 22,6 %.
More and more canned water
The growth of soft drink cans is driven in particular by energy drinks, Who 
recorded a dazzling growth of 23,4% in volume on a market up 18,4 %. Canned water, latest trend of the moment, record, they too, a great performance : +14 %. Their sales accelerated in 2022 thanks to numerous brand innovations and product launches that flooded the shelves. Canned sparkling waters notably jumped 17% in volume, in a global market growing by 1,6 % ! Sales of canned flavored waters increase by 8,8% by volume, in a global market growing by 7,3 %.
More than two out of ten beers sold in cans
In 2022, 22,4% of beers purchased in stores were in cans. Despite the general decline in beer sales (-1,8 %), the can is gaining market share in all 
circuits (except in hard discount), allowing it to maintain its market share compared to 2021 (+0,1 %). Evidence of changing consumption habits, but also the adaptation of can professionals to the shortages which affected other packaging : it is now the can that drives the market for so-called “specialty” beers (abbey beer, flavored…). The can thus recorded an increase in its volume sales of 1,3 %, while this market overall declines by 1,4 %. As for sales of cans of non-alcoholic beer, they continue to progress : +4,5% over one year.
The can drives the drinks market in all businesses
In details, it is in hypermarkets that cans record the strongest growth with +7,2% of beverage sales by volume (4,1% for the entire market). In local stores, its sales in volume increased by 6,5 %. Also in e-commerce, the bobbin recorded an important performance with +6,4% sales by volume (2,7% for the entire market). Finally, can sales have also grown faster than the supermarket drinks market : +2,8% versus +0,7 %.
