The consumption of bottled water in Portugal has increased by 13% in the past two years, to over 100 million litres according to data firm Nielsen.
In the same period, turnover grew by 25% to over €37 million, Nielsen said. Over the last two years, bottled water surpassed the average growth observed in the Consumer Goods segment.
The Nielsen HomeScan survey revealed that 86% of homes in Portugal bought still water and 51% sparkling water in the last year. In fact, still and flavoured water accounted for 75% of total purchases and for more than 95% of consumption.
According to Nielsen senior consultant, Inês Gomes, consumers are increasingly concerned about health and wellness issues, while brands seek to highlight product origins and associated benefits, in order to make them stand out.
Innovative Products
The bottled water offering has changed in recent years. The development of innovative products with alternative formulas, such as flavoured water, led to the creation of higher value in the category, due to a higher average price. In fact, the average price of flavoured water is about 6x higher than unflavoured water (and for sparkling water the ratio is about double).
However, according to Nielsen, these alternative segments have not taken off significantly, keeping their weight relatively stable in recent years and accounting for 25% of the total revenue of the category.
© 2018 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
