Bottled beer sales in Russia are losing market share, according to the Union of Russian Brewers. In 2003, bottles' share of the beer market had fallen by 2.8%, while that held by the larger "Mylar" container grew by 3.1%; last year the bottle lost another 2.4% while Mylar gained another 3.4%. Glass also came under pressure from the growth of cans, PET bottles & by brewer's marketing support for new or launched brands in new packaging. Also, the structural transformation of the glass industry in Russia & the switch of brewers concentration from middle priced to cheaper beer brands that tend to be sold in PET bottles has helped erode glass' market share in this sector.Experts estimate the Russian beer production industry needs between 12 & 13BN bottles/year. Currently, glassmakers produce only two thirds of that quantity, which is divided between more than 70 glassmakers.
