~ 1 ~ Bottled Water – A Global Market Overview Bina Rani 1 , Raaz Maheshwari 2 , Ankita Garg 3 and Magan Prasad 4 1. Department of Engineering Chemistry & Environmental Engineering, PCE, Sitapura, Jaipur, Rajasthan 2. Department of Chemistry, SBRMGC, Nagaur, Rajasthan 3. Department of Chemistry, FASC (MITS) Lakshman Garh, Sikar, Rajasthan 4. Department of Chemistry, MSJGC, Bharatpur, Rajasthan The global bottled water market has seen a remarkable and continued annual growth in the past 15 years. In value terms, the total global bottled water market for 2010 stands at approximately є66bn. The year 2000 was highly impressive with the annual growth rate reaching 11.4%. Whilst it has not been as high in the years since, the rate has remained above 6.0%, displaying the market’s strength and resilience, proving that the fundamental bottled water values of quality, purity, availability and hydration are as strong today as they have ever been. For consumers seeking health and well being, bottled water is an alternate to the traditional soft drinks. The media attention on the growing obesity problem in the West, particularly in the European and North American populations, the links made between it and the increased consumption of soft drinks by children has reinforced the growth of bottled water. A closer look at the dynamics of the global market reveals that with respect to the spilt between still and sparkling water, still formats have steadily gained share over their sparkling counterparts as sparkling water remains the preserve of the households. Sparkling water is becoming increasingly out of vogue and reflecting a wider overall trend towards still beverage consumption. Much of the growth in still water consumption has been driven by water for coolers and other bulk formats. Parallel to this, the increasing consumer preference for still water hydration on the above has bolstered the still water sector. Traditionally, still water hydration has been a substitute for tap water in countries where shortages occur during hot summers or the tap water is not of the required drinking quality. Sparkling water is often seen as a substitute for carbonates and this is particularly true for flavoured sparkling water. Despite facing increasing competition from ‘mains fed’ point of use (POU), water coolers and bottled water coolers continue to be a fast growing service sector across the globe. Sales in bulk formats through coolers, dispensers and pumps have helped to drive the total bottled water market forward. The split between small packs and bulk water formats has effectively been maintained at around two-thirds to one-third, for a number of years. Bulk formats have seen strong growth, notably in the developing world, where they often act as a replacement for infrequent or poor quality mains water. Smaller pack formats (50cl or 1ltr “on the go” products to 5ltrs sizes and above for households), on the other hand, have witnessed strong surges in availability and demand. Both small and bulk pack sizes have a distinct role for a variety of consumption occasions from impulse purchases to consumption. Regional Market Overview With the world’s regions at varying stages of bottled water product lifestyle, it’s no surprise that regional consumption per person differs from the global average. West Europe is by some margin the world’s most mature bottled water region driven by longstanding markets such as France, Germany and Italy that dominate Europe by scale. Within Europe, the Eastern European states are seeing particularly robust growth each year driven by the Bulgarian, Estonian, Hungarian and Polish markets. Well established and highly competitive, the West European region is experiencing lower year on stable growth rates. The elevated growth rates across Eastern Europe are generally a result of low per capita bottled water consumption, as the industry continues to progress at a promising rate. Eastern European average per capital consumption is around 34ltrls per year. West Europe’s lower Original Article Bulletin of Environment, Pharmacology and Life Sciences Online ISSN 2277 – 1808 Bull. Environ. Pharmacol. Life Sci.; Volume 1 [6] May 2012: 01-04 © All Rights Reserved Academy for Environment and Life Sciences, India Website: www.bepls.com