Premium water strengthens globally
Worldwide sales of premium bottled water advanced 3.9% to 10.3 billion litres in 2014, taking its overall retail value to more than US$15 billion, according to a new study by leading food and drink consultancy Zenith International.
“85% of sales were in the mature markets of North America and West Europe,” commented Zenith Senior Consultant Karen Wells. “In many of these countries, premium brands outperformed other packaged waters, demonstrating that consumers appreciate the attributes of provenance and style as well as quality and convenience”.
Other notable regions include Asia Pacific, where premium water has been boosted by rising levels of disposable income, allowing consumers to trade up from mainstream products. In China, premium bottled water has grown at a compound annual growth rate of 17% since 2010. The Middle East also continues to attract interest from premium water brand owners, as the spread of wealth in countries such as Saudi Arabia and UAE makes the potential returns attractive.
The global premium water market is relatively consolidated, with the leading five brands – Evian, Volvic, Vittel, Gerolsteiner and S Pellegrino – accounting for more than half of total volume. For smaller premium brands wishing to enter new markets, having a robust route-to-market plan and finding the right distribution partner remains paramount to success.
Zenith estimates that the global market for premium water will have exceeded 10.6 billion litres in 2015 and will increase to more than 12.5 billion litres by 2020. “Packaged water responds to a wide variety of consumer needs around the world and is expected to continue growing strongly in the next five years. Premium water is also set to benefit from this trend,” concluded Karen Wells.
The Zenith 2016 Premium Water Report contains 115 pages of charts, tables and commentary including a focus on five key markets: China, Germany, Japan, UAE and USA. Also available is the Zenith 2016 Global Premium Water Datasheet, with global and country level volume and value data for 2010-2014, plus 2015 full year estimates. Contact Zenith International on +44 (0)1225 327900 or email info@zenithinternational.com.
For more information on the 2016 Premium Water Report click here.
Notes for Editors:
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Two charts are attached for publication.
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Packaged water is defined as bottled water sold in sizes up to 10 litres and therefore excludes bulk water containers.
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For further information, please contact:
Monika Fedor or Karen Wells, Zenith International Ltd
7 Kingsmead Square, Bath BA1 2AB, United Kingdom
t +44 (0)1225 327900, f +44 (0)1225 327901