NEW YORK -- CSP first reported it in 2010, and a new Euromonitor report now confirms that bottled-water consumption will indeed overtake that of carbonated soft drinks this year.
A Bloomberg chart of Euromonitor's data shows soft drinks on a steady 20-year consumption decline, while bottled-water consumption increases over the same period. The chart marks early 2016 as the point when bottled water overtakes soda at about 27 gallons per capita.
"Sales of bottled water in the United States have yet again reached new highs, with the largest total volume consumption on record in 2015 at 39.3 billion liters," Euromonitor said. "Despite environmental concerns and doubts about the added-value amongst some, consumers continue to embrace bottled water. This product has had success leveraging its naturally healthy attributes when compared with other types of soft drinks, such as carbonates and sports drinks, which both contain high levels of natural and/or artificial sweeteners."
An "overall aversion" to perceived unhealthy beverages, such as carbonated soft drinks (CSDs) and juices, will continue to fuel the growth of bottled water in the years to come, the report said.
"The high added sugar content of [CSDs] and concern surrounding the artificial sweeteners in low-calorie CSDs, used to replace sugar or high-fructose corn syrup, are anticipated to continue to drive soft-drinks consumers from carbonates to bottled water," the report said. "In addition, the continued growth in sales and offerings of carbonated, flavored and functional bottled water will create a bridge for consumers to transition from other soft drinks to bottled water, making consumers believe that bottled water is superior to tap water."
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