European water dispense market to pass 6 million units by 2026
The European water dispense market, which includes bottled water coolers, point of use dispensers and integrated tap systems, returned to growth in 2021, according to new research by the sector’s leading specialist consultancy Zenith Global. Total placements were up by 3.8% to 5.3 million units in December, while revenue grew by 2.8% to €2.1 billion.
“Units and revenue almost completely returned to 2019 highs in 2021, but the impact of covid has shifted trends across the industry,” commented Zenith Global Chairman Richard Hall. “Throughput had been rising steadily in bottled dispensers up to 2019, but this is now not expected to regain the same level as pre-pandemic. The impact of war in Ukraine and rising costs of living means that more expensive integrated tap systems – which had previously been growing strongly – are forecast to see a deceleration in growth.”
“Competition and consolidation continue to feature, further challenging revenue growth as distributors grapple with absorbing or recovering increased costs in a highly price-conscious market,” he continued.
Among other findings by the Zenith research team, bottled water dispenser numbers increased by 2%, accounting for 62% of the total. Point of use units rose by 6% and held their share at 30%. Integrated tap system installations advanced by 8% to reach an 8% share.
West Europe grew faster than East Europe in 2021, to take a 71% share of placements across the continent. However, bottle demand remained higher in East Europe, due to its high use of ambient pump dispensers.
The leading national markets for bottled coolers were Spain, Russia, UK, Poland and Italy. Bottle-free solutions were most popular in West Europe. The leading point of use markets were UK, France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Integrated tap systems dispensing filtered water with added functionality (kettle hot, boiling, sparkling etc.) were most popular in UK, Germany, Denmark, Italy and Netherlands.
In line with 15% growth over the past 5 years, Zenith Global is forecasting 15% growth over the next 5 years to 2026, taking the regional total to 6.1 million units.
“Underpinning future growth in the dispense industry, the principal driver will continue to be consumer interest in healthy, convenient and sustainable hydration,” Richard Hall concluded.
