- The consumption of mineral water continues to run even in these first months of 2022, which already in 2021 had registered + 4.9% on 2020. According to data from NielsenIQ, sales in large-scale distribution grow by 6.4% in value and + 4.7% in the period January-May 2022.
This is what emerges from a survey by "Mineral Water Monitor", the Nomisma Observatory dedicated to the mineral water sector, which involved a thousand Italian buyers of packaged water.
Among the new trends, the sale of 'functional waters', enriched with elements "useful to the body such as vitamins and minerals, but also hyaluronic acid and herbal and fruit extracts, are flying by 20% in value; certainly they are still a niche, with less of 1% of sales in value of bottled water and only 4% of Italians, but these waters are destined to expand, with 13% declaring that "they would like to try them in the coming months." However, in the coming months several unknowns loom on this market, between inflation and downward consumption forecasts in relation to food and beverage spending; a decline that will manifest itself especially in the autumn when the driving effect of holidays and tourism for home flower consumption will end.
On the foreign front, exports recovered which, after + 1% recorded in 2021, closed the first quarter with 33% compared to the same period of 2021. In fact, sales in the USA returned to growth (+ 46% in the first quarter 2022), a market where Italy holds a market share of 36%, thanks above all to the export of sparkling mineral (89% of total Italian exports in value), and to the United Kingdom (+ 77%);
Germany (+ 12%) and Switzerland (+ 23%) also did well, while exports to France were stationary;
a country that represents the second destination for sales of Italian waters and, like wine, is the main competitor on international markets.
(HANDLE).
