Despite multiple challenges, the US water dispenser market grew at its fastest rate for many years in 2020, with unit numbers rising 5.2 percent to 8.6 million, according to the new 2021 US Water Dispense Report from the food and drink experts, Zenith Global. The largest segment of bottled water dispensers (BWD) increased by 5.6 percent to 6.3 million units. In the bottle-free arena, POU rose 4.3 percent to 2.2 million units, while integrated tap systems (ITS) slipped back slightly by 0.3 percent. Commercial and hospitality shares declined as a result of COVID-19 related closures, offset by higher domestic demand. This change in balance led bottled water dispenser volumes to fall by 2.5 percent to one billion gallons (6.1 billion liters). One notable new development was interest in more hygienic systems, such as contactless dispensers. This drove further demand for more technologically advanced units. As a result, overall industry revenue increased by 3.4 percent to $4.2 billion.
“Although the pandemic had an adverse impact on many businesses, the US water dispense market proved remarkably resilient in 2020,” commented Sudipta Bhattacharjee, Research Analyst at Zenith Global. “It was a year of major change for Nestlé Waters North America, which was bought by One Rock Capital Partners in partnership with Metropoulos & Co, and now operates as BlueTriton Brands. A number of acquisitions boosted the operations of Culligan, Primo and Waterlogic. The US water dispense market is expected to experience further growth in the coming years, driven by appreciation for high quality water and for the lower environmental footprint of POU and ITS installations, which require no packaging,” she concluded.
Zenith Global’s 2021 US Water Dispense Report provides an in-depth analysis of the water dispenser market including: volume and value analysis, key mergers and acquisitions, innovation and disruptions, forecasts, as well as segment performance indicators. Full details are available at www.zenithglobal.com/market-insights/reports or email [email protected].