UK Bottled Water Market Analysis
The UK bottled water market saw a rebound in 2024, driven by retail sales and lower-priced options.
The bottled water market is forecasted to grow significantly in volume and value in the foreseeable future, supported by rising health consciousness and sustainability concerns, despite potential disruptions from the 2027 Deposit Return Scheme and microplastic issues. The UK bottled water market size is poised for expansion as these trends continue to evolve.
UK Bottled Water Market Trends
Consumer trends in the UK bottled water market are strongly influenced by health and sustainability concerns. Hydration remains a key driver, with many consumers opting for bottled water as a healthier alternative to sugary and processed drinks. There is growing demand for flavoured options, especially among younger consumers, with a focus on low- or no-sugar choices. The trend of alcohol moderation, particularly among 16-34-year-olds, presents an opportunity for bottled water to be positioned as an alcohol substitute. Consumers are increasingly concerned about packaging waste, with a shift toward more sustainable options, and the rising awareness of microplastics is also influencing purchasing decisions. Additionally, consumers are seeking more transparency about water purification processes and the added benefits of electrolytes and other health-related ingredients. The bottled water market size is expanding in response to these trends.
Purchasing the UK bottled water market report for 2025 provides key insights into the growing demand for healthier, sustainable options. It highlights consumer trends, market growth, and emerging opportunities, helping brands capitalise on evolving preferences and refine their strategies in the UK bottled water market.
About The Report
This UK Bottled Water Market Report 2025 offers comprehensive insights into the Bottled water market in the UK, covering consumer trends, market growth, and emerging opportunities. It surveys key areas such as hydration preferences, the shift towards healthier and sustainable beverage options, flavour innovations, and the growing demand for eco-friendly packaging. The research also examines market dynamics, competitive brands, and future forecasts. Brands, manufacturers, and marketers in the food and beverage industry, as well as investors and strategists looking to tap into the growing demand for bottled water, will benefit from this report’s detailed analysis and actionable recommendations in the bottled water market.
Key Topics Analysed in the Report
- Overview of current market performance and the outlook for the next five years
- Key new product development trends in the category
- Reasons for drinking tap water and bottled water, by type
- Reasons for buying bottled water
- Behaviours relating to bottled water, including interest in new flavours and concern for hidden sugar in flavoured options
- Attitudes towards bottled water and hydration, including hydration’s role in mental wellness
| Report Attributes | Details |
|---|---|
| Published Date | May 2025 |
| Data Range | 2019-2029 |
| Measurement Metrics | Revenue in £ |
| Country Focus | United Kingdom (UK) |
| Consumer Data | 2,000 internet users aged 16+, March 2025 |
| Number of Pages | 94 |
| Market Segmentation | Unflavoured Still Bottled Water, Flavoured Still Bottled Water, Unflavoured Sparkling Bottled Water and Flavoured Sparkling Bottled Water |
| Leading Companies | Evian, Volvic, Buxton, Nestlé Pure Life, Highland Spring, Fever-Tree, Schweppes, S.Pellegrino, DASH Water, Aqua Libra, White Rock |
Meet the Expert Behind the Analysis
This report was written by Sam Fryers. Upon graduating with a BSc degree in Business Studies, Sam joined Mintel Ireland in October 2023, building upon prior experience gained during his placement year in a consumer insights role. Sam joins the research team in Belfast, where he will contribute to the production of Mintel’s Irish reports.
The public spotlight on hydration, sugar and UPFs has bolstered bottled water volumes. DRS stands to bring disruption, but could offer reassurance on recycling.
Sam Fryers
Research Analyst
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
- Opportunities for the bottled water market
- Lean into simple hydration messaging
- Position bottled water as a worthy alcohol substitute
- Focus on flavour to compete with other soft drinks
- Market dynamics and outlook
- Market size & forecast
- Market predictions
- Sales to reach £3.8 billion by 2029
- Evian and Volvic continue to lead, Buxton and Nestlé’s Pure Life gain in 2024/25
- Graph 1: retail sales of leading brands in bottled water, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
- Packaging comes into the spotlight
- What consumers want and why
- Three in four drink bottled water, 16-34s are core users
- Graph 2: usage of bottled water by type, 2020-25
- Hydration and refreshment are top occasions
- Graph 3: reasons for drinking tap and bottled water, by type, 2025
- Strong interest in more flavour options
- Graph 4: behaviours related to bottled water, 2025
- Most see optimal hydration as important for mental wellness
- Graph 5: attitudes towards bottled water, 2025
- Innovation and marketing
- Bottled water regains share in soft drink launches in 2024
- Graph 6: soft drinks launch activity, by sub-category, 2019-2025
- Bottled water launches respond to consumer concerns
- Adspend rebounds in 2024
- Graph 7: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on bottled water, by media type, 2021-25
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MARKET DYNAMICS
- Market size
- 2024 sees bottled water volume rebound
- Graph 8: value and volume sales of bottled water, 2019-24
- Retail sales drive 2024 growth
- Water’s healthy drink role comes into its own
- Market forecast
- Growth of under-35s and health consciousness will support modest volume growth
- Sales to reach £3.8 billion by 2029
- DRS could bring disruption, growth of 15-34s will support category
- Health focus and tap water quality concerns will buoy demand
- Channels to market
- On-premise struggles in 2024
- Graph 9: volume sales of bottled water, by retail and on-premise, 2019-24
- Graph 10: volume sales of bottled water, by retail and on-premise, 2019-24
- Weak consumer confidence and sub-par weather take a toll on on-premise sales
- Market share
- Own-label among the main winners as shoppers continued to economise in 2024/25
- Graph 11: retail sales of leading brands in bottled water, by value, 2022/23-2024/25
- Danone loses value share, Nestlé gains
- S.Pellegrino, DASH and Aqua Libra premium brands post rapid growth
- Market drivers
- One in four sees their finances as healthy
- Graph 12: the financial wellbeing index, 2016-25
- Consumer confidence falls in 2024, cautious spending ahead
- Graph 13: the financial confidence index, 2016-25
- Bottled water inflation continues to ease in 2024
- Graph 14: CPI inflation rate; all items, all soft drinks, bottled water, 2019-25
- Sustainability to regain emphasis with growing confidence
- DRS to be introduced in 2027
- The EPR scheme comes into force…
- …but is met with resistance from businesses
- Microplastics make headlines in 2024 and 2025
- Graph 15: Google Trends search index for microplastics, 2022-25
- Strong interest in healthy eating
- Graph 16: how often people try to eat healthily, 2018-24
- Wanting a chilled and healthy drink are top reasons to buy bottled water
- Graph 17: reasons for buying bottled water, 2024 and 2025
- UPFs continue to make headlines in 2024
- Continued growth of 15-34s will support bottled water
- Graph 18: population by age group, 2020-30
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WHAT CONSUMERS WANT AND WHY
- Usage of bottled and tap water
- Three in four drink bottled water
- Graph 19: usage of bottled water by type, 2020-25
- 16-34s are core users of bottled water
- Graph 20: usage of bottled water types, by age, 2025
- Unflavoured still is the top choice in bottled water
- Half of Britons drink unflavoured still bottled water weekly
- Graph 21: frequency of bottled water usage, by type, 2025
- Tighter finances curb use of flavoured and sparkling bottled water
- Graph 22: usage of different types of bottled water more than once a week, by financial situation, 2025
- Reasons for drinking bottled water
- Hydration and refreshment are top occasions to drink water
- Graph 23: reasons for drinking tap and bottled water, by type, 2025
- Bottled water can forge a growing role in alcohol moderation
- Graph 24: use of bottled water as an alternative to alcohol, by type of bottled water, 2024
- Alcohol-inspired flavours can help water brands tap alcohol moderation
- Overseas products and those from adjacent categories provide inspiration on alcohol-inspired flavours
- DASH Water offers cues on using partnerships to drive links with alcohol moderation
- Price, naturalness and low sugar content crucial to win over those limiting alcohol
- Showcase versatility of sparkling water to drive value perception against low-/no-alcohol …
- … and other soft drinks
- Behaviours related to bottled water
- Flavour has substantial sway in bottled water
- Graph 25: behaviours related to bottled water, 2025
- Half of users are more swayed by flavour than brand
- Appetite for more flavour options, particularly among the young
- Half of flavoured water users prioritise flavour over brand
- Lychee and coconut feature among emerging/novel flavours
- Reassure on taste to challenge CSDs as a treat
- Celebrate ingredients and flavours to signal focus on taste
- Continue to spotlight low/no sugar content
- Half of adults are concerned about hidden sugar in flavoured water
- Less sweet flavours hold potential
- Brands spotlight absence of sugar on pack
- New brand Cans shuns sweetness and the soft drinks category
- Attitudes towards bottled water
- Most agree optimal hydration is important for mental wellness
- Graph 26: attitudes towards bottled water, 2025
- Half are undecided on the role of electrolytes in effective hydration
- Graph 27: agreement that a drink with electrolytes hydrates you more effectively than the same drink without them, by age, 2025
- Re-simplify hydration
- Messages around the role of water in mental and physical recovery should resonate
- Relaxation is a key touchpoint
- Relaxing at home is among top occasions for drinking bottled water
- Graph 28: consumers who have drunk bottled water while relaxing at home, by type of bottled water, 2025
- Evian offers cues on how to align with wellness at home
- Nearly half find detailed information on purification processes appealing
- Continue to combat concerns over water purity
- Under-35s and parents show strong interest in purification processes
- Graph 29: consumers who would find detailed information about how a bottled water brand purifies its water appealing, by age and children in household, 2025
- Filtration warrants greater attention on pack and in messaging
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INNOVATION AND MARKETING TRENDS
- Launch activity and innovation
- Bottled water gains share in soft drink launches in 2024
- Graph 30: soft drinks launch activity, by sub-category, 2019-25
- Cans gain ground in water launches
- Graph 31: bottled water launches by packaging material, 2016-25
- Aqua Nobel and NEO WTR look to other packaging materials for sustainability
- Evian and La Sasse embrace glass in premium launches
- Citrus leads in flavoured water launches over 2020-24
- Graph 32: launches of flavoured water, by flavour component, 2020-25
- Established brands refresh flavoured ranges
- Flavoured water attracts new variants and new entrants
- Sugar-free and ‘no artificials’ claims grow
- Graph 33: bottled water launches by selected sugar and added/artificial ingredients claims, 2016-25
- New launches use on-pack call-outs and flavours to break away from sweetness
- Functionality and fortification attracts NPD in flavoured water
- Rubicon launches fortified flavoured sparkling water
- Advertising and marketing activity
- Bottled water adspend recovers in 2024
- Graph 34: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on bottled water, by media type, 2021-25
- Danone Waters leads ATL adspend after uptick
- Graph 35: total above-the-line, online display and direct mail advertising expenditure on bottled water, by advertiser, 2021-25
- Evian partners with Pharrell Williams for limited edition launch
- Highland Spring uses social media to support launch of flavoured variants in 2024
- Aqua Libra highlights zero calories and artificials in outdoor campaign
- DASH Water takes a stance against artificial sweeteners in “Canspiracy” campaign
- Aqua Pura highlights its provenance with “So Northern…” outdoor campaign
- Tie-ups continue
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APPENDIX
- Market forecast data and methodology
- Value and volume market size and forecast: bottled water
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (value): bottled water
- Market forecast and prediction intervals (volume): bottled water
- Forecast methodology
- Market segmentation
- Retail sales of bottled water, by type
- Channels to market
- Sales of bottled water, by channel
- Market share
- UK: leading brands’ sales and shares in the retail bottled water market, by value
- UK: leading brands’ sales and shares in the retail bottled water market, by volume
- UK: leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the retail bottled water market, by value
- UK: leading manufacturers’ sales and shares in the retail bottled water market, by volume
- Report scope and definitions
- Market definition
- Abbreviations and terms
- Consumer research methodology
- Flavourscape AI: methodology
- Nielsen Ad Intel coverage
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