Bottled Water Sales and Consumption Continue to Rise as Consumers Increasingly Turn to Bottled Water, Taking Market Share Away From Other Beverage Categories. Bottled Water is Second Only to Energy Drinks in the Double-digit Percentage Increase in Dollar Sales the Beverage Category has Seen for the Year Ending June 18, iri Reports. the Category Grew a Full 25 Percent Compared to Last Year, Reaching $3.2 Billion in Sales, With no Indication That This Trend Will Slow.

In 2005, total bottled water volume exceeded 7.5 billion gallons, a 10.7 percent increase from 2004; and the 2005 bottled water per capita consumption level of 26.1 gallons increased by more than 2 gallons, from the 23.8 gallons per capita the previous year, reports the International Bottled Water Association, Alexandria, Va.

Global bottled water volume (MILLIONS OF LITERS)
SUBSECTOR	2005	FORECAST 2006
STILL BOTTLED WATER	129,715.6	139,647.2
CARBONATED BOTTLED WATER	28,787.1	29,622.7
FLAVORED BOTTLED WATER	3,759.1	4,485.8
FUNCTIONAL BOTTLED WATER	1,853.1	2,074.9
TOTAL	164,114.9	175,830.6
Source: Euromonitor International, 2006

Even full-service restaurant operators are seeing more orders for bottled water, according to the National Restaurant Association (NRA), Washington, D.C. In terms of beverages, bottled water is second to wine in the number of increased requests. Fine-dining operators reported that 61 percent of their customers are buying more bottled water compared to 2004, with casual dining operators following with 55 percent and family dining operators with 52 percent, the NRA reports.

Flavor innovations have been some of the most prominent new product introductions in the bottled water category. Jivita LLC, Wailuku, Hawaii, launched a new concept of flavored drinking water called Jivita. The water is infused with a combination of hydrosols – extracts from flowers, resins and bark – making it the first aromatheraputic water to hit the marketplace, the company says. Jivita’s introductory line of water includes four flavors: Jivita Red, said to enhance mental and physical awareness; Jivita Orange to enhance mental and physical endurance; Jivita Green to calm the body and mind; and Jivita Purple to center the body and mind.

In addition, Pepsi-Cola North America, Purchase, N.Y., added FlavorSplash Grape to its line of flavored waters from Aquafina. FlavorSplash Grape joins the three other flavors – Citrus Blend, Wild Berry and Raspberry. Sweetened with Splenda, FlavorSplash Grape has zero calories, carbs and sugar and is low in sodium. And Soma Beverage Co. added a Spearmint flavor to its Metromint line up. The new Spearmint flavor is subtler than Metromint’s original Peppermint, but contains all-natural ingredients and no sweeteners or calories.

Top bottled waters (individual brands)
BRAND	DOLLAR % CHANGE VS.SALES PRIOR YEAR		MARKET% SHARE	CHANGE VS.PRIOR YEAR
AQUAFINA	$463,166,900	20.4	14.3	-0.5
PRIVATE LABEL	$422,452,100	23.9	13.1	-0.1
DASANI	$379,705,700	24.6	11.7	0.0
POLAND SPRING	$222,770,700	25.5	6.9	0.0
PROPEL	$193,618,300	24.9	6.0	0.0
DANNON	$160,866,100	11.4	5.0	-0.6
ARROWHEAD	$157,577,400	20.7	4.9	-0.2
DEER PARK	$121,265,000	29.3	3.7	0.1
GLACEAU VITAMINWATER	$107,799,700	175.8	3.3	1.8
OZARKA	$86,113,930	24.7	2.7	0.0
CATEGORY TOTAL	$3,236,438,000	25.0	100.0	0.0
Source: Information Resources Inc., Total food, drug and mass merchandise (excluding Wal-Mart) for the 52 weeks ending June 18, 2006.

Taking a cue from the energy drinks category, BooKoo Beverages Inc., Dallas, added to its BooKoo Energy products with BooKoo Water. The 12-ounce beverages provide health and/or sensory benefits, the company says. The Chilly Lemon flavor contains a multivitamin formulation; Orange Energy offers an energy boost; Tropical Dragonfruit provides an antioxidant blend; and Wild Berry is said to be “replenishing.”

Pepsi-Cola also added SoBe Life Water, a line of vitamin-enhanced water beverages that contain antioxidant vitamins C and E. Available in five flavors – Pomegranate Cherry, Blackberry Grape, Passionfruit Citrus, Orange Tangerine and Strawberry Kiwi – Sobe Life Water provides 20 percent of the recommended daily value of vitamin E and 10 percent of the recommended daily value of B vitamins B6, B12, niacin (B3) and pantothenic acid (B5).

With no artificial flavors or preservatives, SoBe Life Water is available in 20-ounce PET bottles. In May, PepsiCo agreed to change the look of its SoBe Life Water after a dispute with Glaceau, Whitestone, N.Y., over trade dress. The agreement settled a lawsuit brought by Glaceau in April, which claimed the Life Water package was too similar to Glaceau Vitaminwater.

Playing up the O in H2O, several bottled waters touting extra oxygen have entered the field this year. OGO Oxygen, produced by The O-Company in the Netherlands and imported by Verve Brands LLC, Memphis, Tenn., contains water from a spring, and is infused with oxygen to deliver 35 times more oxygen than regular water and a smooth taste, the company says. The patented spherical OGO bottle, created in collaboration with Parisian designer Ora Ito, holds 11.2-ounces.

New Attitude Beverage Corp., Redondo Beach, Calif., developed Vortex H2O, which it describes as spun-activated water. Produced in Canada, the product is based on a spin technology that activates purified glacier water from Vancouver, British Columbia. The process includes a high-intensity series of electromagnets, which the company says alters the ionic structure of the activated water. Seconds before entering the filler, the water goes through a high-speed spinning whirlpool built 1 foot above the filler, which the company claims substantially increases the absorption of oxygen that is infused into Vortex water. BI