Beverage Industry: What is the future of Bottled Water?
First of all to understand the future of Bottled Water we have to see the past. Bottle Water has been around for a long time in Europe. I remember when I worked in Europe about 10 years ago we only drank bottled water. All my friends had cases and cases of bottled water, sparkling and none. They drank it by itself, they mixed it with their favorite juice, they asked for it at restaurants and drank it at home.
Bottled water has a long history in Europe and now the question is what will it do for us in the USA and all of North America?
Well, it’s a good question. The bottled water category is still growing more than 20% per year in scanned data (data available from supermarket sales) but it’s hard to say what it’s doing at convenience. My opinion is that it’s growing even more.
The real eye opener is not necessarily the bottled water category, it’s the consumer channels. The consumers are demanding more varieties of water and better watery. This is where the category will grow the most, in High-end Water.
More content to come on Bottled Water...
Thanks,
Jorge Olson
www.LiquidBM.com
Visit my website a Liquid Brands Management, Inc. to learn more about the Beverage Industry and how to sell more beverages to distributors, retailers and consumers.
Labels: Beverage Industry, Bottled Water
posted by Jorge Olson @ 6:35 PM
1 Comments:
Bling h2o--The ultimate in High-End Luxury Bottled Water at $40.00+ per bottle!
We are certainly seeing a growing interest in high-end bottled waters. An example: the success of the Bling h2o brand which ranges anywhere from $40.00 - $90.00 per bottle. Why so expensive you may ask. Bling h2o is lavished with luxury including packaging in an acid etch (frosted) tall corked wine bottle, and a logo filled with genuine Swarovski crystals. Check it out here Bling h2o. And guess what: it sells pretty well. Of course one could certainly say the glass bottled Bling h2o is not for everyone, but a plastic bottle is offered for the masses at the typical bottled water price points. And even the plastic bottle is presented in a sexy cylinder-shaped bottle.
In terms of the future of bottled water, what we are seeing is a growing interest in customization as the private label water category expands. This growth is evidenced by an increasing demand for both custom glass and unique plastic bottled water products. Companies are demanding greater flexibility in product mix (i.e. flavor combinations and vitamin-enriched water), as well as water quality and packaging. Moreover they're willing to pay for these kinds of customization options.
Whether one is for or against the bottled water trend, there will always be a need for it. If for no other reason Katrina and other natural disasters clearly illustrate the need to stock a bottled water reserve for emergencies.
Perhaps the future is that bottled water is inching right up there with wine as more high-end restaurants and hotels recognize the appeal of offering a 'menu' of bottled water brands. This certainly makes sense as consumers become more knowledgeable and discriminating about their water.
My only hope for the future is that the industry becomes even more vigilant about maintaining the highest quality standards, against rising production costs and low margins. This in and of itself is a major challenge. And I certainly hope we see more bottled water companies contributing to those less affluent parts of the world that do not have easy access to clean drinking water.
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