Carlsberg U.K. launches beer in PET in Sainsbury's Local stores

Carlsberg PET bottle

Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles have achieved widespread usage in carbonated soft drinks, but introducing the concept into the beer sector has proved to be far more difficult. The first attempts in the early 2000s encountered problems in both performance and appearance. PET was initially used on cheaper brands and private-label alternatives while technical problems relating to oxygen and carbon dioxide permeation affected shelf life. Although the introduction of oxygen scavenging has gone a long way to improving technical performance, the poorer quality image of plastic has proved harder to shift.

Carlsberg's new initiative is designed to address both issues. The company is launching Carlsberg Export in 500mL PET bottles with an attractive design and a proper cap to complement the brand's premium status. The bottle includes the Carlsberg logo down its length and is sealed with a traditional crown cap, rather than a plastic screw version.

The other factor behind the switch is the decision to target impulse sales where Carlsberg has identified significant untapped potential in chilled beer. The company's own research found that an in-store chiller was likely to attract four times the footfall of an ambient fixture in a convenience store or supermarket.

The new bottle design has a lower carbon footprint than glass, but the main benefit lies in convenience and portability, targeting outdoor summer occasions to drive impulse sales, while the contemporary design reinforces the premium positioning of the brand. Carlsberg initially launched the PET bottle concept for Carlsberg Export in Sweden in 2009, when one of the more novel aspects of the launch involved a pet fashion show, the "Premium PET collection," which relied heavily on wordplay between the plastic and domestic animals.

The U.K. launch through 334 Sainsbury's Local stores provides an exciting opportunity to achieve impulse sales in the summer months. The move follows Marks & Spencer's 2010 decision to convert its entire range of 25cl wine bottles to PET and suggests that plastic might be making inroads against glass in the U.K. alcoholic beverage market.

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