Italy’s mineral water sector has seen an 8.7% annual increase in volumes during the first six months of 2017, with both domestic demand and exports growing, reports Il Sole 24 Ore.
The figures are provided by Mineracqua, the Italian Mineral Water Association, which consists of 137 producers. The positive results continue the trend from last year, which saw a 1.1% growth and 14 billion litres of water produced.
Turnover in 2016 amounted to €2.8 billion (+1.8% year-on-year), with both domestic consumption (+1.2% to 12.6 billion litres) and exports (+ 0.7% to 1.35 billion litres) contributing to a positive trade balance of about €400 million.
Growing Demand
The vice president of Mineracqua, Ettore Fortuna, told Il Sole 24 Ore that 2017 seems more promising than 2016, with an 8.7% growth in volume - a figure that does not include the months of July and August in which the water consumption is higher.
According to Fortuna, there are three reasons for success: the product is popular, it is healthy, and has a better price than in other European countries (one litre in Italy costs €0.21 compared to an average of €0.35 abroad). Mineral water exports account for about 10% of domestic production in volume, but over 17% in value.
France is still the largest mineral water exporter in the world (worth €600 million), followed by Italy. Italy exports mineral water to over 100 countries around the world, with the first eight markets (US, France, Germany, Switzerland, Canada, Australia, UK and Japan) absorbing three-quarters of total exports.
The leading Italian mineral water producers are San Pellegrino, San Benedetto, Sant'Anna, Norda, Lete, Rocchetta-Uliveto, Ferrarelle and Spumador. Together they account for 71.5% of the market value.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Branislav Pekic. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine
