For the first time, canned beer sales have surpassed bottled beer for Asahi Beverages.

This has prompted the company to invest $60 million in a new canning facility at its Yatala brewery in Queensland, the largest in Australia.

By next year, canned beer is projected to account for 52% of Asahi’s Australian sales. CEO Amanda Sellers explained to the Australian Financial Review that this shift is largely driven by the popularity of craft beer and the cost-effectiveness of cans, which are generally smaller in size.

“It’s grown about 6% over the past few years since coming out of COVID-19, we saw a huge growth in cans,” Sellers said.

Despite an 8.2% decline in profit for Asahi’s Oceania division in the 2024 calendar year, Sellers expects beer sales to rebound as consumer confidence strengthens following a recent interest rate cut.

In 2024, Asahi’s total revenue in the Pacific increased by 2.1% year-over-year (YoY), which the company attributed to price adjustments and a focus on premium offerings. When measured in actual currency terms, revenue saw a 6.2% YoY increase.

Core operating profit rose by 3.7% YoY, supported by strong performance in Japan and Europe and improved cost efficiency measures. These gains helped mitigate declining profits in Oceania, which Asahi linked to ongoing market challenges. When adjusted for currency, core operating profit saw an 8.1% YoY increase.