Glass in Motion: Data signals where growth is happening next
This month, I wanted to share a closer look at what we are seeing at the intersection of consumer preference, sustainability, and actual sales performance, and how those signals are coming together to highlight meaningful opportunities for glass.
For years, consumer research, both proprietary and third-party, has consistently shown that consumers trust glass and want to see more of it on store shelves. That sentiment is not abstract. It is grounded in clear perceptions that glass protects product integrity, does not interact with what it contains, and aligns with growing concerns around ingredients, quality, and transparency.
We also know that consumers seeking premium, healthy, organic, or ‘clean’ products expect the packaging to reflect those same attributes.
Packaging is part of the product experience, not separate from it.
At our Spring member meeting earlier this month, we heard this reinforced directly from leaders across grocery retail and the restaurant and hospitality sectors.
Across channels, consumers are prioritizing quality, freshness, and ingredient transparency alongside price, and increasingly evaluating packaging as part of that decision.
What is particularly encouraging is how closely that sentiment aligns with actual sales data.
Recent analysis of Total US MULO and Natural Expanded Channel from SPINS data over a 52-week period ending February 22, 2026 shows that glass is not only performing well in expected categories like pasta sauces and pickles, where glass holds 74.3% and 29.5% share respectively, but also emerging as a growth driver in newer and often underreported categories.*
For example, shelf-stable coffee and hot cocoa was the single largest contributor to glass growth over a one-year period among retail categories measured, accounting for 30.5% of total growth.
We are also seeing strong momentum in dairy categories, where sales of milk in glass bottles are up 28.3% compared to 4.2% category growth. For non-carbonated water, glass bottle sales have grown 90.8% despite the overall category’s decline by 1.3%. That is a clear signal that when consumers are given the option, they are actively choosing glass.
In many cases this impressive growth is coming from categories that are still underrepresented in glass. For example, non-carbonated water, which is a huge category, represents just 0.6% glass share but is contributing nearly 8% of sales growth in its category, significantly outperforming its size.
Beyond growth, velocity data* provides another important lens. When we look at comparable products across packaging types, there are numerous categories where products packaged in glass move off shelves faster than those in other materials. This includes energy drinks, shelf-stable tea, yogurt, creamers, and beer and hard cider.
This dynamic holds across large national retailers and becomes even more pronounced in natural and organic channels, where consumers are more likely to seek out products that align with their expectations for quality and sustainability. In those environments, glass is not only present more often, it performs.
Looking more closely at beverage categories, the trend is consistent. In non-carbonated water, glass significantly outperforms other packaging formats in weekly sales. In shelf-stable juices, glass delivers meaningfully higher weekly sales compared to alternative materials.
We see a similar pattern in some beer and cider. For premium imported brands, glass continues to lead. For premium brands like Stella Artois, Pacifico, and Dos Equis, consumers expect and are buying these products more in glass than in other packaging formats.
While performance can vary by brand, season, or promotional cycle, the broader trend is consistent. As products move up the value chain, glass becomes a stronger driver of sales.
At the same time, the data highlights where the next wave of opportunity lies. Categories such as functional sodas, plant-based yogurt, and creamers are growing at strong rates but have relatively low glass penetration today. These are areas where consumer demand, product positioning, and packaging opportunity are beginning to align.
Taken together, the message is clear. Glass is not just maintaining relevance in today’s marketplace. It is gaining momentum in the very categories shaping the future of food and beverage.
*Source: SPINS Satori. Total US MULO and Natural Expanded Channel data over a 52-week period ending February 22, 2026.
SPINS data: A market research source for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), with a focus on natural, organic, and health-and-wellness products. Combines retail point-of-sale (POS) data and consumer panel insights to track sales, understand consumer behaviour, and identify trends.
MULO (Multi-Outlet): Combined retail sales across grocery, mass merchandisers, club stores, dollar stores, and military outlets; excludes convenience stores.
Natural Expanded Channel: Combines sales from natural and specialty retailers with natural and organic product sales within conventional retail channels.
**Velocity: A measure of how quickly a product sells through retail, typically expressed as sales per store per week.
This article was originally published in the May/2026 issue of Glass International, available here.