"It is more expensive to retail beer in glass bottles than in cans." This finding comes from new, independent research conducted for Can Makers, which shows that it is around 16% more expensive to retail beer in glass bottles than in cans. Undertaken with a leading supermarket, the research showed that the differences arise as cans use space more efficiently through the distribution chain and into retail stores. Given that the gross margins of popular beer brands in cans and bottles are aligned, the research concludes that beer in cans is more profitable to supermarkets. The research scrutinised the costs of transporting beer in cans and bottles, from the warehouse through to consumers purchasing the products in store. It took account of costs associated with back-of-store and in-store areas, plus display space and cost of passing products through checkouts.
