Beverage

Mineral water: consumption continues to rise, but the premium segment is in decline

The hot weather led to a 3.6 per cent rise in sales in July, following a 4 per cent increase in 2025, whilst sales volumes of flavoured products fell. Packaging and logistics account for 80 per cent of companies’ costs

by Manuela Soressi

11 September 2026

Aggiungi Il Sole 24 Ore
ai preferiti su Google

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The exceptional and prolonged heatwave that characterised the summer of 2026 sent mineral water consumption soaring: between June and July 2026, Italians added a further 97 million litres to their shopping trolleys compared with the same period in 2025. “Temperatures above the seasonal average led to a 3.6 per cent increase in sales volumes in large-scale retail compared with last year, with peaks of +5.3 per cent in northern Italy, the area most affected by the temperature spikes,” explains Gaia Grassi, CPG Business Development Director for Italia at Circana.

This positive trend consolidates the leading role of bottled water in the Italian drinks market. Mineral water drives a market of enormous proportions: over 16 billion litres in 2025 across retail, door-to-door and out-of-home consumption, representing a 4 per cent increase on the previous year, according to estimates by the trade association Mineracqua.

80% is drunk at home

The lion’s share is accounted for by large-scale retail, particularly supermarkets and discount stores (48 per cent and 30 per cent of volumes respectively), with 12.6 billion litres sold and takings in excess of 3 billion euros. Mineral waters account for around three-quarters of the volume and half of the beverage containers sold through modern retail channels, but in terms of value, their share drops sharply to 22 per cent of the total drinks market.

After all, whilst mineral water is considered one of the hallmarks of affordable luxury abroad, in Italia it is the cheapest drink of all. In supermarkets, it costs an average of 24 cents per litre (but at discount stores it can be found for as little as 16 cents).

Low prices and tempting offers

In Europe, bottled water is cheaper only in Greece. However, it is possible to save money by taking advantage of the numerous special offers, as water is a recognised loss leader, ubiquitous in supermarket leaflets, and so promotional pressure is significant (accounting for 23.6 per cent of sales), albeit slightly down. The result: despite record-high per capita consumption (273 litres per year), Italians spend less than 100 euros a year on bottled water.

The low cost is a significant factor in driving the widespread habit of drinking water and its high level of penetration amongst Italian households, and also in explaining the low willingness to spend more on value-added versions (and therefore more expensive) on which bottlers are focusing to expand their range and increase profitability.

Flavoured on the stick

Despite investment by companies, flavoured waters remain a very limited business (over 23 million euros against 10.3 million litres sold) and, moreover, are in decline (by around 5 per cent). It is not formally part of the mineral water market and is characterised by a premium positioning, with an average price of €2.25 per litre. In terms of profit, a pack costs on average one euro, which is double the price of a pack of mineral water.

Even water-based products – which have been one of the most significant innovations in recent years – do not seem to have won over Italians. Over the past twelve months, the market has fallen by 1.7 per cent in value and 2.5 per cent in volume, standing at just over 3 million euros and 314,000 litres sold. In this case, the average price is even higher: over 10 euros per litre, which works out at around 2 euros per pack.

Manufacturers: rising costs

In a market with these characteristics, where demand remains high as does price sensitivity, and where the business generates high volumes but has low profit margins, efficiency is crucial.

“Packaging and logistics are the top two cost items for bottlers and account for over 80 per cent of costs,” explains Ettore Fortuna, vice-president of Mineracqua – It is therefore no surprise that recent price rises in these areas are leading to changes in companies’ strategies and a shift in the sector’s competitive landscape. Local sources are being prioritised in order to reduce transport distances, and this is leading to investment in various parts of Italia and greater segmentation of the product range.”

Many sources, few big names

There is no shortage of opportunities in the sector. In Italia, there are 322 springs recognised by the Ministry of Health, 125 bottlers and 280 brands. The market is very crowded but also highly concentrated, given that the top three players – Sant’Anna, San Pellegrino and San Benedetto – account for a third of the market value, whilst private labels now account for nearly 18 per cent.

For these large groups, the well-established role of mineral waters in the Italian way of life and the Mediterranean diet is a key driver of overseas sales, in which premium brands in particular are investing. In 2025, Italian exports grew by 12 per cent, exceeding 1.6 billion litres sold across around a hundred countries, with the United States as the leading export market.

Brand connect

I prossimi eventi

Tutti gli eventi

Notizie e approfondimenti sugli avvenimenti politici, economici e finanziari.

Food