Even before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, bottled water had widened its gap over carbonated soft drinks as the largest beverage category by volume in the United States. Among the trends contributing to its No. 1 go-to status are its health and wellness attributes, convenience, and more low-calorie sparkling water varieties than ever before.

“Bottled water is continuing on a solid growth trajectory, and has actually experienced accelerated growth in the first half of 2020,” Gary Hemphill, managing director of research for New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC), explained in Beverage Industry’s October 2020 eMagazine. “It’s positioning as the ultimate health drink continues to resonate with consumers. Additionally, the category has been boosted in recent years by [the] growing popularity of sparkling water.