(Food-Beverage-News.Com, October 12, 2016 ) Functional water is a non-alcoholic beverage, which is altered by adding additional ingredients, to offer health and other functional benefits. Most commonly used ingredients which are added to water, for transforming it to functional water includes vitamins, minerals, acids, herbs, and raw fruit or vegetables. Functional water contains additives which offer extra nutritional values, and also known as aquaceutical.
Functional water market is expanding rapidly owning to change in beverage consumption habits, preference has shifted from high sugar, carbonated beverages to functional and flavored water. Functional water market is expected to grow in the forecast period due to increasing demand from health conscious consumers.
Functional Water Market Segmentation:
Functional water market can be segmented on the basis distribution channel, packaging type and regions that constitute the key markets.
Functional water on the basis of distribution can be segmented into Hyper/Supermarket, grocery and departmental stores, convenience and drug stores and others (includes foodservice, vending and delivery). Grocery and departmental stores accounts for the highest share in sales of functional water, followed by other distribution channels. Functional water are also available in different specialty stores, which offer healthy food and beverage, but there are no exclusive stores for functional water.
Functional water market can be further segmented on the basis of packaging which includes, functional PET bottled water, functional glass bottled water, and others (including flexible pouches and cans). Functional water mostly comes in PET bottles, which are highly recyclable and preferred by manufacturers. Functional glass bottle water is offered at higher price and account for significant share in total market value. With the advancement of packaging technology, and increasing usage of recyclable packaging, PET bottles are preferably used by manufacturers, to supply Functional Water products to end-users.
Regional Outlook of Functional Water Market:
Geographically Functional water market can be segmented by regions such as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), Middle East and Africa and Japan. Among all these regions, Western Europe market is expected to dominate the functional water market, in term of revenue, and also expected to expand at highest CAGR followed by North America. Asia-Pacific and Latin America functional water market is at nascent stage, but the region has potential to grow at higher pace as compared to other developed regions due to changing eating habits, and growing urban population and increasing disposable income of the huge middle class population.
Functional Water Market Drivers:
The size of functional water market is increasing with respect to the growth of non-alcoholic beverage market and due to maturity of soft drinks market. Consumer’s increasing preference for healthy variant, and preference for high nutritional drinks is expected to drive the functional water market. Functional water has the potential to become one of the major non-alcoholic beverage due to its high vitamin, mineral and extra-oxygen properties. Functional water offer healthy hydration while offering refreshment and health benefits to consumer. Health conscious consumers are expected to result in demand pull effect for the functional water products. Functional water market is not just driven due to increasing health concerns, but major brands are also looking forward to offer functional water with additional skin benefits, which is expected to support the growth of functional water market.
Major manufacturers of functional water are expected to offer various products, which are natural, contains vitamin C, botanicals and antioxidants, which and target exclusive market for such products.
Functional Water Market Key Players:
Functional Water market is moderately concentrated with number of major players holding high share and domestic players offering functional water in the local market. Leading players in functional water market are Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc., Nestle S.A., PepsiCo, The Coca-Cola Company, Groupe Danone, Hint Water, New York Spring Water, Balance Water Company and Sunny Delight Beverages Company.
