I've been noticing a lot of breweries have been releasing cans lately of offerings that initially were available in bottles. For example, Terrapin is coming out with their Pumpkinfest in cans this year with bottles as well I'm assuming. With all the pumpkin beer out there is this really necessary? Seems like they're just trying to take up shelf space. Not hating on Terrapin in any way and I could be very wrong, but just speculation. The question I raise is that when breweries release offerings in both bottles and cans, doesn't that take up shelf space and keep other breweries off the shelves. Personally I think they should decide whether to do bottles or cans, shouldn't be either as it limits the selection that a store can provide. On the other hand, there are examples of breweries who do both bottles and cans, like Troegs with Nugget Nectar, which sold through so quickly that it didn't really take shelf spaces away from anyone. Just thought I'd see how my fellow beeradvocates thought about this subject, let the debate begin!
Cans make it easier for storage and distribution purposes. Mexican stores prefer to sell cans because they can pile two or three in the fridge where you can fit just one bottle. Cheers!
My point though is, is that breweries are making the same beer in both cans and bottles. Kills shelf space that's what I'm saying
“The question I raise is that when breweries release offerings in both bottles and cans, doesn't that take up shelf space and keep other breweries off the shelves.” In all probability the answer is yes. Now, the retailer could make a decision to only purchase the beer in one format (i.e., can or bottle, but not both). If the retailer makes this decision then it minimizes the shelf space concern. “Personally I think they should decide whether to do bottles or cans, shouldn't be either as it limits the selection that a store can provide.” I tend to agree with this except that the retailer plays a role as well as I discussed above. Cheers!
all depends how it's stored/displayed. Most of the cans I see are stacked higher than you would stack cases of bottles, or stored on their side (like terrapin hi-5), so they take up less shelf/floor space. I don't think that terrapin's (and other breweries') reasons for using cans has anything to do with taking up more shelf space, so hopefully your local stores figure out a way to stock it without losing display space.
It's marketing 101. If one brewery does it, the rest follow or they risk the chance that space will be taken away. Next time you're in the soda aisle, check how many brands are in both bottles and cans.
They're simply responding to consumer demand of three kinds. Demand from the customers who may prefer cans or may prefer bottles for one reason or another, from the retailers who want to keep their customers happy, from the distributors who want to keep their customers (the retailers) happy. So the beweries that have the capacity to do so responding because it affects their bottom line.
You're right that when a brewery both cans and bottles the same beer AND a store orders both, it does mean fewer packages on the shelf (properties of matter and whatnot). However, larger chains when they do their space planning will have a hurdle rate, so anything that doesn't sell X packages/week is going to disappear. So, if something like Founders All Day IPA cans and bottles both sell enough, then let's not kid ourselves, people want both packages so it's good that both are on the shelf. Smaller stores where there is only one buyer and probably knows what his customers want is only going to buy the package customers want more and use that space to diversify his selections.
It does take up extra shelf space, but as a liquor store, you do not have to order them. A smaller store will usually pick one or the other, a bigger store will have both...
Let's conquer the problems that exist with macro shelf space first. Seriously, when you have Bud offered in can for sixer, 12 and 24 in cans AND bottles, repeat with Bud Light, repeat with Natural....then you have the Miller family matching...then Coors matching..... Get the picture so far? So if craft wants to duplicate effort in cans and bottles, so be it.
I think of it as this, it gives the retail store a choice of what they would like on the shelf. I tend to choose the bottled version over cans because I know that my customers prefer bottles. If it were totally up to me and what I like, id go with cans for easier storage and also fresher beer.
Just because x beer is available in 4, 6, and bomber format doesn't mean there no shelf space for y beer. It just means the buyer has more options if they want to stick to x beer. I'd guess at this point, some of the bigger breweries who are doing packaging in multiple formats want to emulate what most any company does when offering multiple formats of one product. Give the buyer the option to make the choice which is most convenient to their needs. As you may have noticed too, there's still quite a bit of debate about which is the "better" option.
The trick then becomes volume. If a store orders X cases of beer, if it's all in bottles, it will take up more room than if split between cans and bottles. Cans only will take up less space again. In one sense, the store will have MORE room for other beers if they have both. I highly doubt most places would order the usual amount of bottles, then add on cans on top of that.
It is the decision of the brewers to use multiple formats and the decision of the store owner on which format(s) they bring in. If the store owner is concerned with shelf space then they can choose either cans or bottles nobody forces them to bring in both.
This is why i'm not majoring in business. I would have never even of thought this was the reason. It's genius, if it works.
In my experience, smaller shops will have either the bottles or cans if both are available, but rarely both. Larger stores are more likely to carry both.
