In these times when budgets are tight, many consumers are finding that private label bottled waters quench their thirst just as well as branded waters. According to data from Chicago-based SymphonyIRI Group, private label products topped convenience still water sales at just more than $1 billion for the 52 weeks ending July 8 in supermarkets, drug, gas and convenience stores, and mass merchandisers, excluding Walmart, club and liquor stores. Overall, the category posted a 5.3 percent increase for $6.8 billion in sales with eight of the Top 10 brands reporting growth, SymphonyIRI reports.
When combined, the top three bottled water companies — Nestlé Waters North America, Stamford, Conn.; The Coca-Cola Co., Atlanta; and PepsiCo, Purchase, N.Y. — account for approximately 57 percent of the bottled water market, but together they lost 2 percentage points from February 2011 to February 2012 to private label, according to Chicago-based Mintel’s May 2012 report on bottled water in the United States.