Competition in the Bottled Water Industry
Competition in the Bottled Water Industry
1. List and describe the dominant economic characteristics of the bottled water industry.
Market size and growth rate The industry is size is worldwide with a growth rate averaging nearly 9% from 1996-2001 (with a U.S. per capita growth from 20 gallons per year in 2001 to 26 gallons per year in 2005.)
Number of buyers There is a significant number of buyers in the U.S. and internationally. No one buyer accounts for a significant fraction of overall market demand.
Buyer needs and requirements Buyer needs have been changing recently due to an increase of people being more health conscious and also due to increased concerns over the quality of tap water after scares in Milwaukee where 400,000 people became ill, Washington D.C. where residents became ill, and a revision in EPA standards pointing out that there was arsenic in drinking water.
Number of rivals There are a few large players in the bottled water industry such as nestle, groupe danone, coca-cola, pepsi, and sunatory water group. In addition to the large companies, there are also many regional and specialty brands, primarily privately held bottlers with local distribution.
Scope of competitive rivalry Competitors compete globally, internationally, nationally, regionally, and locally.
Degree of product differentiation The products or rival sellers are primarily identical. There are submarkets in the bottled water industry such as purified, mineral, sparkling, or enhanced waters,
Product innovation
Production capacity Surplus is not pushing prices and profit margins down.
Pace of technological change There are ongoing upgrades to accommodate new product innovation and consumers' wants.
Vertical integration Smaller bottled water companies operate in only one or two stages of the industry but the large companies are fully integrated from the aquifers, springs, or other sources of water to the
1. List and describe the dominant economic characteristics of the bottled water industry.
Market size and growth rate The industry is size is worldwide with a growth rate averaging nearly 9% from 1996-2001 (with a U.S. per capita growth from 20 gallons per year in 2001 to 26 gallons per year in 2005.)
Number of buyers There is a significant number of buyers in the U.S. and internationally. No one buyer accounts for a significant fraction of overall market demand.
Buyer needs and requirements Buyer needs have been changing recently due to an increase of people being more health conscious and also due to increased concerns over the quality of tap water after scares in Milwaukee where 400,000 people became ill, Washington D.C. where residents became ill, and a revision in EPA standards pointing out that there was arsenic in drinking water.
Number of rivals There are a few large players in the bottled water industry such as nestle, groupe danone, coca-cola, pepsi, and sunatory water group. In addition to the large companies, there are also many regional and specialty brands, primarily privately held bottlers with local distribution.
Scope of competitive rivalry Competitors compete globally, internationally, nationally, regionally, and locally.
Degree of product differentiation The products or rival sellers are primarily identical. There are submarkets in the bottled water industry such as purified, mineral, sparkling, or enhanced waters,
Product innovation
Production capacity Surplus is not pushing prices and profit margins down.
Pace of technological change There are ongoing upgrades to accommodate new product innovation and consumers' wants.
Vertical integration Smaller bottled water companies operate in only one or two stages of the industry but the large companies are fully integrated from the aquifers, springs, or other sources of water to the