Marilyn Monroe might have sung about how diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but this mineral isn’t the only thing that’s been sparkling lately. According to data from Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. (IRI), sparkling/mineral water sales increased 32.5 percent, reaching $1 billion in U.S. supermarkets, drug stores, gas and convenience stores, mass market retailers, military commissaries, and select club and dollar retailers for the 52-week period ending Aug. 11 compared with the prior-year period. This increase outpaced the overall bottled water category, which grew 2.2 percent during that same time period.
These strong sales for the segment are in contrast to the contraction it exhibited during the recession, experts note.