Bottled Water in Bulgaria

PROSPECTS

Bottled water continues to record strong growth

A strong tourist season in 2018 and increasing domestic travel benefited bottled water sales. According to the Ministry of Tourism, in the first seven months of 2018, Bulgaria was visited by almost 5.

Unfavourable demographic trends offset by poor quality tap water in many regions

In 2018, for the first time in Bulgaria, the country’s population fell below seven million. Negative demographic trends affected bottled water volume sales of bulk pack sizes, with this likely to continue over the forecast period.

Corporate social responsibility initiatives becoming increasingly important

It is likely that over the long term competition in bottled water will intensify even further, driven by emerging opportunities in the upper-priced segment as well as bulk pack sizes due to the low quality of tap water in many regions. Nurturing consumer loyalty and trust through various marketing campaigns, including corporate social responsibility events and sponsorship, will be essential to maintaining and strengthening the positive image and reputation of bottled water manufacturers over the forecast period.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Coca-Cola HBC Bulgaria enters spring water

In 2018, one of the leading companies in natural mineral water, Coca-Cola HBC Bulgaria, continued its expansion in the wider category by entering spring bottled water. Bulgaria was the first export market for the Serbian brand Rosa.

Popularity of spa tourism destinations boosts brand awareness

The positive reputation of Bulgaria as a wellness and spa destination helped foster the popularity of Bulgarian bottled water brands, which tend to be concentrated in such areas, close to the Rila, Pirin and Rhodope mountains.

Strong growth of tourism industry benefits premium French and Italian bottled water brands

The strong growth of the country’s tourism industry, especially with regard to visitors taking city breaks in Plovdiv, Sofia, Varna and Bourgas, helped drive sales of premium imported brands such as San Pellegrino and Perrier, largely in high-end on-trade establishments in these cities but also other popular tourist resorts. With the increasing popularity of high-end restaurants among affluent urban consumers and the ongoing development of the country’s foodservice channel, premium bottled water brands will likely continue to perform well over the forecast period.

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