Bottled water continues to grow in Eastern Europe markets, due to consumer concerns with low tap water quality. According to “Global Packaging Trends,” a new report compiled by Euromonitor International for PMMI Business Intelligence, bottled water holds 45% of the total soft drinks volume, and still remains the largest category with higher projected growth rates. PET dominates, but metal and glass are gaining popularity over sustainability concerns.
In 2018, Poland represented 43% of retail/off-trade unit volume, with 1001-2000 ml being the most popular pack size. However, 330-500 ml bottles are projected to show higher demand in the future.
Bulk water is slowly claiming a higher market share due to the convenience of use and delivery, and new opportunities for bottled water exist with children being an emerging consumer group.
In the beer market, glass bottles hold the commanding lead among pack types despite some loss in market size during the 2013-2018 period. Due to sustainability concerns, glass bottles are expected to grow slightly over the next few years (from 63% market share in 2018 to 64% by 2023).
Brand share in the beer market is very fragmented in Eastern Europe. Name brands claim 81% of the market. Baltika (Carlsberg A/S) is the largest specified brand with 5.7% of total volume in 2018, and Carlsberg A/S has the largest market share by company. There were 16.1 billion total units sold in 2018.
