Growing competition in the CSD market demands pack differentiation

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As competition intensifies in the carbonated soft drinks market in Africa, local brands find themselves competing against imports, forcing all players to become more efficient in the battle for consumers.

The beverage market in Africa is starting to see the benefits of moving from glass to PET bottles. These include easier transportation on rough roads, along with improved costs and efficiencies as PET bottles can be blown from preforms on-site to avoid moving fully-blown bottles through the entire supply chain. Manufacturers that have already migrated to PET are now focusing on “light weighting”.

Consumers are becoming more sophisticated with increased spending power.  The result is that the market is demanding improved packaging – lighter, more eye-catching and more sophisticated with better graphics and consumer appeal.

Keith Dilkes, Export Sales Manager for Polyoak Packaging explains, “Polyoak’s high quality printing on its plastic closures is becoming very popular with bottlers and brand owners. It’s a competitive market and beverage brands need to stand out on shelf to attract sales.”

Advanced closure printing

Polyoak’s wide range of 28mm and 38mm PET closures are available with technologically advanced three-colour offset print decoration for impactful branding, and are available in a variety of colours.

Easy open closures

Polyoak’s 28mm 1881 Grip closure features a special knurl design for improved grip, making it easier for consumers, young or elderly, to twist open. This tamper evident closure is easy to apply and adds modern convenience to carbonated or non-carbonated beverages.

Full service solution

Beverage manufacturers in Africa are frequently located great distances from their source of supply. Machine parts for packaging lines, including blowers and fillers, along with the technical support that goes with it, are often far away. Capital is also often an issue when wanting to upgrade machinery or convert packing lines.

“Polyoak is a one-stop shop when it comes to packaging. In addition to our diverse range of plastic bottles and closures, we also offer assistance with packaging design, testing and sometimes machine leasing. For example, a major beverage brand in Botswana partnered with our expert design team to develop their innovative PET bottle; numerous dairies in Zimbabwe have filling machine leases with us; and a global carbonated soft drinks company in Central Africa has entrusted us with its beverage closures, printed with 100% camera inspection.”

Polyoak offers a full range of 28mm, 38mm and 46mm PET preforms with a wide variety of matching closures for beverage, food and industrial applications.