Focus On Bottled Water: 11 February

By Rob Brown rob_j_a_brown@hotmail.com 

Publishing: 11 February 2023
Advertising deadline: 27 January 2023
Submissions deadline: 20 January 2023

Last year proved a stormy one for bottled water in retail. While record temperatures gave shoppers a thirst, issues with manufacturing, logistics and labour meant that convenience retailers struggled to get hold of bottled water. That’s in the context of wider supply chain issues for food & drink that will continue into 2023. So what are retailers and bottled water suppliers doing to avoid a repeat of 2022? Can the category address these issues while tackling long-held concerns about sustainability?

Supply disruption: Bottled water brands struggled to supply convenience stores with product last summer, citing a range of supply chain issues. What has been learnt from the saga? And how can things be improved this year?

Price rises: Water prices are up 13.5% year on year, with carbonated lines up a fifth or more. How can brands and retailers stop shoppers from returning to tap water?

Sustainability: Concerns about plastic waste have returned as the pandemic ebbed. What are the latest plans to improve bottled water’s eco credentials?

Flavoured water: Canned seltzers have fizzed up the water market in the past few years, with challenger brands helping to shape things. How are mainstream water brands and own label suppliers responding?

Channels: Category sales have unsurprisingly moved from at home consumption to on the go. How is bottled water adapting to these shifts?

Innovations: We will profile 4 new products or ranges that have ideally not appeared in The Grocer before. We need launch date, rsp, and a hi-res picture of each