10 Largest Bottled Water Companies In The World

The 10 largest bottled water companies in the world have managed to succeed in the bottled water industry, which is on the rise around the world as more and more people become aware of the harmful effects of carbonated drinks and sugary sodas. A report by Beverage Marketing said that bottled water sales grew by an impressive 120% between 2000 and 2015, while consumption of carbonated beverages slid by 16% during the same period. COO of Beverage Marketing, Gary A. Hemphill, predicts that bottled water consumption will surpass that of carbonated drinks in three or four years. The global bottled water market is expected to reach $279.65 billion in 2020, according to Transparency Market Research. Famous carbonated beverage companies are now counting on their bottled water businesses to counteract the declines in their traditional soda businesses as a result. For example, PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP)’s carbonated beverage sales declined by 2% in the first three quarters of 2015, while its bottled water sales grew by 5.5% in the same period.

Bottled mineral water sales are rising because people consider them healthy and nutritious. Mineral water has just the right amounts of silica, magnesium, potassium and calcium, which is good for bones, skin and blood cholesterol levels. Clean drinking water is still at a premium around the world, especially in the third world, where thousands of people die every year due to water bacteria. Even in the U.S and Europe, it’s hard to trust the quality of tap water amid withering infrastructure and sewage crises. Decades-old pipes are seething with lead and other harmful metals, which get dissolved with water, making tap water potentially toxic to humans. There’s also the controversial addition of fluoride to the tap water in many regions, ostensibly to combat tooth decay, though the onus should be on people to take care of their own teeth as opposed to mass fluoridation of the water supply.

That’s why people are ready to buy bottled water in greater numbers than ever before, despite it costing 2,000 times as much as tap water. In the U.S alone, the equivalent of 1.7 billion half-liter bottles were sold every week in 2015, which is more than five bottles of water for every man, woman, and child in the country. And the U.S doesn’t even top the list of countries consuming bottled water. In 2015, China overtook the U.S as the world’s top consumer of bottled water. India is also one of the biggest bottled water markets in the world. According to a report by Zenith International, Asia accounted for 41% of the total bottled water market in 2015, up from 35% in 2011.

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But bottled water is not without its critics. Several reports have suggested that bottled water is not healthy and contains dissolved solids, which are harmful for health. CBS recently quoted Mike Jackson, a water testing expert at Gold Medal Plumbing, who, while testing three famous bottled water brands, found an average TDS (total dissolved solids) of 170 to 180 PPM. These materials can be dangerous for human health.

Nevertheless, a plethora of bottled water brands are emerging around the world. In this article we will reveal the 10 largest bottled water companies in the world, based on their revenue. For further water-related reading, check out the Top 10 Healthiest Bottled Water in the World.

10. Bisleri International 

Bisleri International is an Indian bottled water company, which holds 60% market share in the Indian packaged water industry. Its total bottled water revenue is $94.6 million. The company was founded by famous Italian businessman and chemist Felice Bisleri.

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9. Fiji Natural Artesian Water

Fiji Artesian Water ranks 9th in our list of largest bottled water companies in the world. It was founded by Canadian businessman David Gilmour in 1996. The company was then acquired by Las Vegas-based The Wonderful Company LLC, formerly Roll Global, for $50 million in 2004. The Wonderful Company has net revenue of over $4.8 billion, while Fiji Water’s revenue as of the end of 2015 was $250 million. Fiji Water’s sources include the Yaqara Valley of Viti Levu, one of Fiji’s two principal islands.

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8. China Resources Beverage

China Resources Beverage is a part of China Resources, which manufactures and sells bottled water, tea, coffee and soft drinks. Its total revenue is $332.6 million. In 2015, China Resources was ranked 115th on the Fortune 500 list. It is one of the biggest state-owned enterprises in China.

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7. Aquafina

Aquafina is PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE:PEP)’s bottled water brand, which was started in 1994 in Kansas. It is now sold throughout the world, including in Asia, Canada, Europe, and the Middle East. As of May 2015, Aquafina has 9.6% market share in the bottled water industry in the U.S. In 2009, Pepsi had to pay $1.26 billion to Charles Joyce and James Voigt after they won a lawsuit which claimed that Pepsi stole their idea of selling purified bottled water. Pepsi’s market cap as of May 2016 stands at $147.3 billion, while Aquafina’s revenue for 2015 was $1.27 billion.

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6. Tingyi (Cayman) Holding Corporation

We are continuing our list of largest bottled water companies in the world with Tingyi that is a famous food company based in China. It was founded in 1991 by the Wei brothers. Tingyi is famous for its beverages and instant food products, especially its noodles. Its bottled water revenue as of the end of 2015 was $1.33 billion.

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5. Nongfu Spring Co., Ltd

Nongfu Spring Co., Ltd, also known as Nongfu Spring, is another Chinese bottled water company. In 2015, Nongfu won 5 top international design awards. In 1999, Nongfu’s founder Zhong Shanshan unexpectedly announced that his company would end its production of purified water and focus only on natural mineral water. This decision resulted in a huge boost in sales. Nongfu’s bottled water revenue stands at $2.2 billion.

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4. The Coca-Cola Co

The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO)’s bottled water product, Dasani, is the second-most popular water brand in the U.S as of 2016. The Coca-Cola Co (NYSE:KO) started its bottled water brand in 1999 after rival Pepsi’s successful venture into bottled water. Coca-Cola filters tap water using reverse osmosis and adds trace amounts of minerals like magnesium sulfate and potassium chloride to make it healthier. Dasani’s parent company Coke has a market cap of $192.8 billion, according to Forbes. As of 2015, Coke’s bottled water revenue was $3.9 billion.

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3. Danone

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2. Wahaha

Wahaha ranks second in our list of largest bottled water companies in the world. It is the water brand of Chinese company Hangzhou Wahaha Group Limited, which is the biggest beverage producer in the country. The tagline of the brand is “Healthy Living, Healthy Water”. Wahaha’s primary water source is in the famous Changbai Mountain range located between China and North Korea. In January 2015, Wahaha came under fire after the Beijing Bureau for Food and Drug Inspection found “more than permissible” bacteria and yeast in its bottled water. Wahaha Group’s revenue stood at $7.12 billion in 2015.

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1. Nestlé

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That wraps up the list of the 10 largest bottled water companies in the world. Which bottled water is your go-to brand? Or is bottled water for suckers? Share your thoughts with our readers in the comments.

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