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Water Surges Forward
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