Bottled Water Market Research Articles

The unique chemical and microbiological signatures of an array of bottled drinking water.

The bottled drinking water market has seen significant growth and diversification, yet the selection criteria lack scientific basis, as all must adhere to stringent health standards. Prior studies predominantly focused on chemical quality, with limited assessments of microbial quality using methods prone to underestimation. Moreover, insufficient research explores the impact of packaging materials and temperatures optimal for mesophilic growth on microbial quality. To understand the unique characteristics and justify the distinction among different types of bottled waters, a comprehensive analysis encompassing both chemical and microbiological aspects is imperative. Addressing these gaps, our study examines 19 diverse bottled water brands comprising purified, mineral, artesian, and sparkling water types from Saudi Arabia and abroad. Our findings reveal distinct chemical compositions among bottled waters, with notable variations across types. Flow cytometry analysis reveals significant differences in bacterial content among water types, with natural mineral waters having the highest concentrations and treated purified waters the lowest. Bacterial content in plastic-bottled mineral water suggests it may be higher than in glass-bottled water. Flow cytometry fingerprints highlight separate microbial communities for purified and mineral waters. Additionally, temperatures favorable for mesophilic growth reveal varying microbial responses among different types of bottled waters. Some variation is also observed in mineral water bottled in plastic versus glass, suggesting potential differences that warrant further investigation. 16S rRNA gene sequencing identifies unique microbial taxa among different mineral waters. Overall, our study underscores that all bottled waters meet health regulations. Furthermore, the combined chemical and microbial profiles may serve as authenticity indicators for distinct bottled water types. This study can serve as a basis for future research on the environmental impact of bottled water transportation, suggesting that locally produced water may offer a more sustainable option.

Use of the TOPSIS method for hydro-chemical classification of some bottled waters marketed in Algeria

The bottled water market in Algeria has experienced significant expansion in recent years, driven by increased demand and the growing number of production units. Although the quality of these waters generally meets health standards, notable variations remain in terms of mineral composition and organoleptic characteristics. To refine the assessment of this quality, this study proposes an innovative methodological approach based on the TOPSIS (Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution) technique. This method allows ranking alternatives based on their proximity to an ideal solution, taking into account criteria such as hardness, nitrate content, mineralization, and the hydro-chemical nature of the waters. The quality of the studied waters varies according to the analyzed parameters, and the importance of the criteria is determined by their impact on the potability and taste of the waters. Hardness is considered essential, followed by mineralization and hydro-chemical nature, while nitrate content is the most crucial criterion due to potential health risks. A detailed ranking of the different brands available on the Algerian market has been established. The results reveal a great diversity of profiles, with no brand systematically standing out from the others.

Investigating the Impact of temperature and storage time on antimony release from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic used for bottled drinking water

In last decade, Prosperity in contemporary Saudi Arabia and the consequent stresses on renewable freshwater resources resulted in the bottled drinking water market. Over the period, sustainable water resources planning (SWRP) has become an essential requirement for the development of places where these resources are highly constrained. To meet this market growth in Saudi Arabia is augmented by increasing demand for bottled water. This drastic increase, leads some countries to develop an alternative sources including desalinated water and treated wastewater for landscaping irrigation, industrial reuse, street cleaning, and aquifer recharge. There are claims on health concerns the possibility of chemicals migration from polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottles into drinking water. In this paper, inductively coupled plasma -optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) was utilized and applied to determine the antimony (Sb) release from PET bottles into mineral water of 8 local brands at different temperature degrees within 8 months storage time.

Microplastics and non-natural cellulosic particles in Spanish bottled drinking water

This investigation explored the presence of microplastics (MPs) and artificial cellulosic particles (ACPs) in commercial water marketed in single use 1.5 L poly(ethylene terephthalate) bottles. In this work we determined a mass concentration of 1.61 (1.10–2.88) µg/L and 1.04 (0.43–1.82) µg/L for MPs and ACPs respectively in five top-selling brands from the Spanish bottled water market. Most MPs consisted of white and transparent polyester and polyethylene particles, while most ACPs were cellulosic fibers likely originating from textiles. The median size of MPs and ACPs was 93 µm (interquartile range 76–130 µm) and 77 µm (interquartile range 60–96 µm), respectively. Particle mass size distributions were fitted to a logistic function, enabling comparisons with other studies. The estimated daily intake of MPs due to the consumption of bottled water falls within the 4–18 ng kg−1 day−1 range, meaning that exposure to plastics through bottled water probably represents a negligible risk to human health. However, it's worth noting that the concentration of plastic found was much higher than that recorded for tap water, which supports the argument in favour of municipal drinking water.

Can International Freshwater Trade Contribute to the SDG 6

Freshwater is fundamental for all aspects of human well-being and sustainable development. The supply of freshwater resource largely depends on the natural water cycle, leading to extremely unequal distribution over the world. This uneven distribution and increasing freshwater demand results in spatial and temporal physical freshwater shortage. By discussing the limitations of desalination techniques and the shortcomings of existing pathways for freshwater transfer including water transfer projects, bottled water market, and virtual water trade, we suggest that international freshwater trade as an additional pathway is necessary. The analysis of the cost structure of freshwater production and transportation and the hypothetical examples between potential exporting and importing countries show the feasibility of international freshwater trade. The establishment of a global freshwater market is confronted with six challenges, namely, natural sustainability, ecological safety, opinions of stakeholders, market access mechanism, pricing mechanism, and infrastructure system. We conclude that a global freshwater market is expected to make contributions to achieving SDG 6 by mitigating spatial and temporal freshwater scarcity and by resolving transboundary freshwater conflicts and managing local freshwater consumptions.

An Analysis on the Consumer Insights in the Bottled Water Market in Bangladesh

The scarcity of publicly available purified water has increased the demand for bottled water in Bangladesh. Consumers prefer bottled water over tap water mostly for the safety, hygiene and convenience factors. As the bottled water market is becoming competitive day by day, companies are trying to create differentiations and innovations which have been found quite difficult but not impossible to implement in reality. Therefore, it is essential to understand the factors influencing consumers' preferences and decision making processes for bottled water purchase. This paper examines the consumers' tastes, preferences, perceptions for and attitudes toward bottled water in Bangladesh. The results of the research reveal that consumer behavior is both homogeneous and heterogeneousfor bottled water while evaluating the water itself and comparing with other alternative drinks. However, still there are opportunities for innovation and differentiation to create a unique value proposition. The findings of the study will have important implications both in the field of academic research and practicing marketing world.

Investigation on the Development Status and Consumption Demand of China's Bottled Water Market Based on the Consumption Market of Youth Groups in Anhui Province

With the development of economy and society and the improvement of people's living standards, people have higher and higher requirements for drinking water quality. Therefore, the bottled water market has great development space in the future, but it is also accompanied by many prominent problems such as many manufacturers and fierce competition. In order to understand the young people's cognition and purchase preference of bottled water in Anhui Province, the research group used online questionnaires, expert interviews, field research and other methods to explore the development status, consumption needs and main problems of the bottled water industry. Firstly, we conduct descriptive statistical analysis on the survey data to understand the distribution of samples, and use contingency analysis and decision tree analysis to analyze the purchase preference of youth bottled water in Anhui Province. Secondly, from the four aspects of price, advertising, publicity and sales, AHP is used to explore the influencing factors of young people's purchase of bottled water. Thirdly, the structural equation model is used to explore the transmission mechanism of each influencing factor of bottled water purchase. Finally, from the dimensions of purchase habits, purchase scenes and purchase needs, this paper uses cluster analysis to describe the purchase behavior of five types of youth in Anhui Province.

The bottled drinking water market in China: features of sustainable development

This article briefly presents the results of a market research study of the bottled drinking water market in China. The purpose of this study is to describe the overall situation in the Chinese bottled drinking water market, identify sustainable growth and expansion trends, as well as potential opportunities for export of Baikal drinking water through the introduction of domestic (regional) business to the Chinese market. The results of the study can be used to guide foreign business activities in the bottled drinking market and to make effective management decisions.

Comparison of mineral content of bottled spring and mineral waters marketed in Turkey

Drinking water is the most indispensable substance for humans. Bottled drinking waters are preferred over tap water with the belief that they are more nutritious, better quality, more delicious and safe in terms of health. Therefore, the Turkish bottled (spring and mineral) water market has experienced a continuous growth since 2003, as in the whole world. This study focuses on comparing the common mineral cation calcium (Ca2+), magnesium (Mg2+) and sodium (Na+) content of twenty one popular bottled spring and mineral water brands marketed in Turkey by using an inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). The average concentrations of Ca, Mg and Na analyzed in bottled spring and mineral water samples were found as 14.9, 24.1 and 8.2 mg/L and 147.9, 44.3 and 117.3 mg/L, respectively. This comparison confirms that bottled natural mineral water has better quality in terms of major nutrient minerals than bottled natural spring waters.

Exploring Bottled Water Purchase Intention via Trust in Advertising, Product Knowledge, Consumer Beliefs and Theory of Reasoned Action

As the bottled water market is projected to grow continuously worldwide, so is the plastic waste that pollutes the environment. The beverage industry’s marketing campaigns have played an important role in sustaining the popularity of bottled water. Social science theory-based empirical research examining how consumers make bottled water consumption decisions remains limited. To help fill this literature gap, the current study tested a conceptual framework to explore the influence of trust in bottled water advertising and perceived product knowledge on consumer beliefs about bottled water, in conjunction with theory of reasoned action. The study surveyed a sample of college students in the U.S. (N = 445). Findings showed that greater trust in bottled water advertising as well as more false knowledge and less factual knowledge were significantly related to consumer beliefs about bottled water’s product content and image. Furthermore, more favorable cognitive beliefs, affective beliefs, attitude and perceived subjective norms toward bottled water consumption were positively related to purchase intention. To reduce bottled water purchase among young adults, it would be beneficial to utilize marketing strategies to popularize and normalize carrying a reusable water bottle as an environmentally friendly habit and a preferred lifestyle choice.

Opportunities for using natural fresh water in Russia for the export potential development

Subject. Water resources are getting more and more scarce worldwide, and the situation aggravates over time. In such circumstances, Russia should get use of its competitive advantages and increase exports of fresh water and water-intensive products. Objectives. I analyze opportunities for using natural fresh water of Russia to unfold the export potential. Methods. The study relies upon databases of the Russian governmental agencies, the UN, and Asian partnership countries. The study is based on the systems approach and methods of logic and comparative analysis, qualitative and quantitative analysis of statistical data. Results. The article illustrates cases of water supply via canals and water pipelines from Russia to Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. I display what unparalleled opportunities Russia has, since it possesses land and water resources, which would help rapidly increment water-intensive agricultural and other production. I make suggestions on key strands to follow and efforts to activate the use of available fresh water for the export potential development. Conclusions and Relevance. The proposed rearrangement of some Russian river flows to neighboring countries should be thoroughly elaborated and studied in terms of environmental, socio-economic, political consequences. The rapid economic growth of neighboring Asian countries opens new opportunities for Russia to seize its competitive advantages. Hence, the government should actively support sectors that would meet the highest demand for their products in the coming decades. The competition is expected to intensify across all segments of bottled potable water market. Russia should get more involved into the sale of water not only on the Kamchatka peninsula, but only in other regions of Siberia and the Far East.

Demographic factors affecting Regular Bottled Water Consumption: Adana Province/Turkey

In Turkey, bottled water market has shown a rapid development since the 1990s. This study is aim to reveal demographic and economic factors affecting on bottled water consumption in Adana. A logistic regression model was used to achieve research goal. The results of the study showed that women consumers, with undergraduate and higher education consumers and individuals with monthly income of 2500 TL are more likely to consume bottled water. However, there is no relationship between age, marital status and household size variables and bottled water consumption. Bottled water companies should take into account to gender, education level and income level in their marketing strategies.

Major and Trace Element Geochemistry of Korean Bottled Waters

The Korean bottled water market has continuously expanded during the last 25 years. However, in-depth studies of its geochemistry have not been conducted. Four types of bottled water manufactured in South Korea (i.e., natural mineral water, NMW; functional water, FW; carbonated water, CW; and desalinated seawater, DSW) were investigated to classify the water type, verify the accuracy of the ion contents detailed on the bottle labels, and decipher the origin of the water sources using major and trace elements and their isotopes. The waters was classified into three types: Ca-HCO3, Ca(Mg)-Cl, and Na-HCO3. NMW and FW are mainly of the Ca-HCO3 type. Our findings indicate that Korean bottled water chemistry is associated with lithological features and manufacturing processes; NMW is closely related to lithology while FW and DSW are strongly affected by manufacturing processes. Unlike major ions, trace elements cannot be used to decipher Korean bottled water chemistry because they show little apparent relationship with lithology. Regardless of the water chemistry, typical isotopic signals corresponding to intrinsic water were observed in all of the samples, indicating that groundwater and seawater were the sources of Korean bottled water.

국내 시판 먹는샘물 제품들의 관능적 특성 및 소비자 기호도

본 연구는 표준화 된 관능 평가 절차를 이용하여 상업용 먹는샘물의 관능 프로파일을 분석하고 먹는샘물의 소비자 기호도를 조사하기 위해 수행되었다. 국내 시판 6개의 상업용 먹는샘물에 대해 이화학적 성분, 묘사 분석 및 소비자 기호도 테스트를 수행하였다. 국내 먹는샘물의 pH는 6.9∼7.9로 pH의 범위는 약산성에서 알칼리성으로 나타났으며, TDS는 49∼92mg/L로 국내 먹는샘물은 100mg/L 이하로 나타났다. 먹는샘물에 대한 묘사 분석 결과 기호도를 제외하고 외관 1개, 향 1개, 맛 5개, 구강촉감 5개, 후미 2개의 특성으로 총 14가지의 관능적 특성이 도출되었다. 주성분분석 결과 제 1주성분분석으로 총 60.19%를 설명하였고, 제 2주성분으로 총 변동의 22.74%를 설명하였다. 소비자 테스트를 위해 121명(20~59세)의 먹는샘물 음용자를 대상으로 조사한 결과 목넘김, 단맛, 깔끔한 맛, 청량감, 부드러운 텍스처를 가진 시료를 소비자들이 선호하는 것을 알 수 있었으며 떫은맛, 쓴맛, 비린맛, 부정적인 향이 나는 시료에 대해 낮은 선호도를 나타냄을 알 수 있었다. 그 결과 본 연구를 통해 국내 시판 먹는샘물의 관능적 특성을 규명하고 소비자 기호를 알 수 있었으며, 향후 품질 및 기호도 향상을 위한 원료 및 품질 특성 연구가 이루어진다면 국내시장에서 다양한 먹는샘물 생산뿐만 아니라 대중화에 기여할 수 있을 것으로 기대한다.

Маркетинговое исследование рынка бутилированной питьевой воды

Drinking water holds a valuable place in human ration. When choosing a water brand, the consumer is guided by a number of factors. Customers place various demands on a product. Thus, during the market launch the manufacturer needs to
 know the consumer’s attitude to a given product. The determinant factors for product purchase include consumer’s knowledge of product trade names, information awareness, recognition of the product among other manufacturers, and advertising response. The marketing research was conducted in the city of Biysk (Altai Krai, Russia) and pursued the following goals: to determine public attitudes to bottled drinking water; to assess the factors that influence buying decisions; to evaluate the perspective presence of Altai Krai’s manufacturers at the bottled water market. The research was done through questionnaire survey and provided fairly complete information on consumers’ opinions, choices, and behavior. This survey covered different consumer categories, a total of 300 respondents of different age groups, income level, and social class. The survey results demonstrated that 56.6% of the respondents still use tap water. However, only 15.8% actually give their precedence to tap water value account; the remaining 84.2% can therefore be viewed as potential customers. The survey revealed that the major consumer’s criterion for water is the product price (42.8%). The second criterion in order of importance is the water quality, which constituted 16.7% of the total number of respondents. The paper contains data on consumers’ preferences by water manufacturers. The consumers were found to use water of manufacturers from other regions (51.6%). Only 42.4% gave their preference to local manufacturers, though Altai Krai is famous for its environmentally-clean drinking water sources. Price choices for drinking water were ascertained, and 53.6% of the respondents were found to be ready to pay 40 to 60 rubles per liter, which corresponds with the local manufacturers’ pricing policy. When asked if the quality of local water brands is trustworthy, the great majority of the consumers (86.4%) gave credit to the local manufacturers’ water quality. Based on the data on favourite brands, the most popular brands turned out to be the most promoted ones. The local manufacturers’ efforts in this direction require available persuasion means, such as ad placement in mass media and promotional events at sales places.

Avaliação da Qualidade de Águas Minerais Comercializadas no Município de Niterói - RJ

The consumption of mineral water has grown worldwide and is associated with growing concern about water quality, in part due to the pollution of surface water bodies and the search for a healthier lifestyle. According to the National Department of Mineral Production (DNPM), in 2014, Brazil remained the 5th largest bottled water market in the world and the 8th largest producer in the world, consuming 19.5 billion liters. Faced with the wide demand for good quality water, it is necessary constant monitoring bottled mineral water. This work aims to determine if the physicochemical characteristics of bottled mineral waters consumed in the municipality of Niteroi are in accordance with what is presented on the water bottle label and with Brazilian legislation. To attend this objective, physicochemical, ionic, and microbiological analyses were performed in four distinct brands over four months. The analyzed waters can be classified as sodium and calcium bicarbonate. The obtained results show that the mineral waters studied are according to the limits established by the Brazilian legislation. However, the concentrations of the larger dissolved ions were higher than the one described on the label, indicating a possible geochemical evolution of the water collected from the sources.

Chemical composition of Chilean bottled waters: Anomalous values and possible effects on human health

The Chilean bottled water market has experienced continuous growth since 2000, surpassing 500 million liters sold in 2015. Generally, consumers tend to associate the consumption of bottled water with a healthy lifestyle, but current Chilean law does not require the product to be labelled with the chemical composition, thus preventing consumers from making informed choices.Our study focuses on determining the water quality of ten brands of bottled water available for sale in Santiago, Chile. All of the analyzed water was not carbonated and in plastic containers in the 1.5 L size when available and the closest size to this when not available. Thirty-two chemical elements were analyzed, including minor and trace elements, and the data have been evaluated with respect to the limits established by Chilean and international regulatory agencies.Our results indicate that the quality of the analyzed water generally complies with Chilean law for bottled water. However, 30% of the analyzed samples exceed the values of arsenic (As) permitted by Chilean drinking water regulations, the World Health Organization and the United States Environmental Protection Agency. In 40% of the samples, the NO3 content is higher than groundwater values suggesting that the source of the bottled water is superficial. The purified bottled water brands contain minimal amounts of dissolved elements but do not comply with all of the parameters (e.g., pH) established by Chilean drinking water regulations.Our study highlights that there is an inconsistency between the Chilean norms that regulate bottled water and those that regulate drinking water. Some of the analyzed bottled waters do not comply with the drinking water regulations and paradoxically these brands should not be consumed by humans. However, risk assessment calculations for As ingestion show that the consumption of 1 L/day of bottled water does not pose a risk for human health.

Tap Water versus Bottled Water: A Pilot Study

The aim of this exploratory research and comparative numerical pilot study was to investigate any significant differences in the microbiological content of tap and bottled water through the measurement of risk indicator parameters including Enterococci, Escherichia coli (E. coli) and colony-forming units (CFUs). This study to investigate storage conditions and compare consumer options of public water supply and bottled water using microbiological limits was carried out for public health research. This was a unique pilot study to Northern Ireland with global relevance due to the increase in the bottled water market and the need to address the lack of consumer awareness regarding storage and microbiological content. No E. coli or Enterococci were found in any of the 31 tap or bottled water samples. Three unrefrigerated bottled water samples exceeded the threshold in Colony Counts 22°C & 37°C (degrees Celsius) and failed in line with Drinking Water Directive guidelines. This indicated a link between storage conditions and microbiological quality. No link between prices or microbiological quality was indicated. This research recommends the creation of a regulator for the bottled water industry, the need for clearly labelled microbiological content and daily testing. Water suppliers such as Northern Ireland (NI) Water should promote the quality of tap water. Recommendations are also outlined for consumers. There is no statistically significant difference in the microbiological quality of tap and bottled water in Northern Ireland despite marketing claims.

An integrated production and distribution problem with direct shipment: a case from Moroccan bottled-water market

We consider an industrial application encountered in the Moroccan context that involves the production and distribution of bottled water. Our industrial partner owns one plant from which all requests are delivered in direct shipments and usually full truckloads to the customers (a set of regional depots and wholesalers). We must take into account the production, the delivery requirements, multiple products, and inventory levels. The objective is to minimise the sum of the production, transportation, and inventory costs. We propose a mixed integer linear program for a variant of the multi-vehicle, multi-product production routing problem. Experiments have been conducted using CPLEX 12.3.0, and almost all instances were solved with a reasonable optimality gap. The results show that significant savings can be obtained by using our approach with respect to the current company practice.

What Makes a Good Merger? An Analysis of Merger Efficiencies in the U.S. Bottled Water Industry

I quantify efficiencies that were created following a horizontal between Coca-Cola and Glaceau, the manufacturer of Vitaminwater and Smartwater, in the U.S. premium bottled water market. I estimate a structural demand and supply model where manufacturers choose advertising, product variety (number of UPCs) and wholesale prices, and I allow for several types of efficiencies. With counterfactual simulations, I show how marginal cost, product variety fixed cost, and advertising fixed cost efficiencies affected equilibrium market outcomes. I find that, compared to a no merger baseline in year 2009, the reduced the prices of Glaceau products by 3.5%-5.2% and increased product varieties by 18.8%-35.8%, advertising of Vitaminwater by 53.9%. Besides, the increased market shares of Glaceau products by 40.1%-60.7% and raised consumer surplus by about 22%. These results suggest that, despite a recent focus on mergers that appear to have had negative consequences, some mergers yield benefits.