What’s more in your water?
In part five of Drinking Different we look at what’s powering up water as a product, from added ingredients to safe hydration.
Water. An elementary human need and a natural resource is now a differentiated product on the shelves. Packaged water is evolving as consumers expect more than hydration from their water. And manufacturers have transformed the taste and benefits of water so much that it is a well-established, lucrative category today.
Sourced naturally
The roots of packaged water can be traced to mineral springs of Europe, where the first bottling plants were established. Natural mineral water and spring water continue to be popular even today with each natural water source associated with its own unique blend of minerals and ions. As consumers looked for more functionality and taste in products, including water, innovation brought forth a new segment: value-added water.
Adding more value
Simply put, value-added water offers more, be it enhanced water with added ingredients for functional benefits, flavoured water for taste, alkaline water, or even water with extra oxygen or hydrogen. The list goes on as each type of value-added water is associated with certain health benefits or improved taste – geared to help consumers get more out of hydration.
Premium and growing
Positioned as low-calorie or zero-calorie alternatives among beverages, value-added water is seeing exponential growth. By 2026, it is expected to reach $10.7 billion, growing at the rate of 13.5%. The expected growth rate surpasses that of the packaged water which is estimated to be at 6.78%. Today, even natural mineral water and spring water are being premiumised with added ingredients. Take the case of Volvic natural mineral water, a brand that offers water filtered through 6 layers of volcanic rock in fruit flavours for on-the-go consumption.
Sustainability meets convenience
For today’s consumer, sustainability ranks high on the agenda as does convenience, making the right packaging an integral part of a purchase decision. For manufacturers, the focus is on minimising environmental impact while maintaining flavour and functionality. SIG offers a range of carton packs ideally suited for water and other sustainable packaging options, such as spouted pouches for on-the-go and bag-in-box for bulk usage.
Safe hydration for everyone
Even though there is no questioning the popularity of premium water, the essential factor remains hydration. Access to safe, drinkable water is critical. It is often not viable to have bottles or cartons of water in scenarios where hundreds or even thousands need drinking water. See how flexible packaging of water can be the answer even in emergencies like natural disasters.
Moving on from hydration to ready-to-drink convenience – we will delve into the vast, rapidly growing market of ready-to-drink beverages in the next part of the series. To get our take on the category and more, subscribe to our exclusive bi-weekly newsletter, SIGnals Update.