Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) is launching a new size of beverage can to fill a gap in its range for North America.
The canmaker said it will make a 568ml (19.2oz) can for the first time in the US for products including beer, cider and hard seltzers, fitting between the 16oz (473ml) and 24oz (710ml) sizes. The Luxembourg-based company said the move is in response to demand for large single servings in packaging that’s is easy to recycle.
The size is equivalent to an Imperial pint, which is offered in a number of markets. A 500ml size is also commonly used in Europe and elsewhere.
“We’re enabling brands to further differentiate their product on retail shelves by choosing from a wide array of sizes, graphics and tab and end options,” said AMP North America chief executive Claude Marbach. “This new 568ml size is indicative of this commitment, where AMP serves as a one-stop partner in enabling our customers to achieve their brand and bottom line targets.”
AMP said the 568ml cans will be made at its plant at Huron in Ohio, which started up in the second quarter of last year.
Larger cans are becoming more popular among consumers and brands, as rising inflation changes the economics of beverage consumption. A larger can is more attractive to cash-strapped drinkers who want more than a single can but would rather not pay for a multi-pack.
Similarly, they are appealing to American consumers of alcoholic beverages in states and cities, such as Chicago, where smaller packaging sizes aren’t allowed to be stocked unless they are in multipacks. The larger ‘grab-and-go’ cans offer consumers more product without having to pay up for four- or six-packs.
Diversified can sizes are particularly popular with established beverage brands that use larger cans to widen their appeal across market segments, often selling them at a discount as a loss leader.
