Sparkling Water Gaining Acceptance
Long perceived by the general consumer as a pricey extravagance only encountered when your waiter offers you ‘sparkling or still’, carbonated water is all set to grow in a big way across the retail sector. In fact, sparkling water has the distinction of gaining in popularity not because of any particular innovation from manufacturers or marketers, but simply as side-effect from consumers turning away from soda and diet soda. By offering a healthier alternative with fewer chemicals, ingredients, sugar and caffeine while still retaining the fizzy mouth feel of a soft drink, sparkling water has become one of the fastest growing drink segments. According to data from Euromonitor, sales of sparkling water brands such as Perrier, San Pellegrino and other fizzy waters have more than doubled over the past five years, to about US $1.5 billion, far outpacing the growth of bottled and "functional" water.
