Bottled water sales now total $18.5 billion, an increase of 8.8 percent.
Beverage Industry reported on new numbers released from International Bottled Water Association (IBWA), Alexandria, Va., and New York-based Beverage Marketing Corporation (BMC).
Bottled water volume grew to 13.7 billion gallons in 2017, a 7 percent increase over the previous year, BMC said in a statement. Bottled water sales now total $18.5 billion, an increase of 8.8 percent. Per capita consumption exceeds 42 gallons of bottled water, a 6.2 percent increase. Meanwhile, the average annual intake of carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) has slipped to 37.5 gallons, BMC statistics show.
BMC predicts bottled water will climb higher than 50 gallons per capita within just a few more years.
The distance between bottled water and CSDs continues to widen as increasingly consumers choose bottled water instead of soda. CSD sales decreased for the thirteenth consecutive year, according to the most recent numbers from BMC.
Within the bottled water category, all segments grew in 2017:
• Domestic non-sparkling increased 5.5 percent.
• Domestic sparkling increased 27.5 percent.
• Imported water increased 9.2 percent.
• Home and office delivery (3- and 5-gallon size bottles) increased 1.3 percent.
“Bottled water’s rocket-like rise in popularity coincides with pronounced shifts in consumer preferences for refreshment and rehydration,” said Michael C. Bellas, BMC chairman and chief executive officer (CEO), in a statement. “As the quintessential portable and affordable beverage, bottled water introduces new usage occasions and habits. Suitable for consumption at any time of the day or night, and not necessarily in need of being kept ice cold, bottled water simply is the preferred beverage not only for consumers aiming to reduce caloric intake or lessen artificial sweetener usage but also for consumers of all kinds.”
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