Bottled water market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Bottled water market - Essay Example The second part will contrast the bottled water market in two specific countries. The countries chosen for this purpose are Scotland and Saudi Arabia, whereas the major bottlers in these countries selected are Strathmore and Masafi mineral water respectively. There appear to be several reasons inducing people to purchase bottled water in any part of the world. Of course, bottled water is far costlier than the tap water for the people in the developing countries as compared to the under-developed countries. However, the demand for bottled water in all its forms has been on a substantial rise in both the sections of the world. People in the poor as well as rich countries are willing to pay a high price for bottled water while avoiding having tap water that is available to them cheaply. The motives driving the people to purchase bottled water are discussed below in the context of developed and developing countries of the world. The bottled water market is booming in all parts of the world with an annual volume of about 89 billion litres, which shows that an average person drinks 15 litres of bottled water every year (Danone, 2000). The western consumers comprise the major market for the bottled water companies especially from the European countries. Apparently, these are the developed countries of the world with high per capita income and enhanced awareness of health and purity matters. Scotland is also one of the developed nations of world with a booming bottled water market. It is interesting to note that in developed nations of the world, the tap water available to people is much safer to drink, albeit the people are inclined to purchase bottled water more than those in developing countries. The main reasons inducing people to purchase bottled water in a developed European country like Scotland are as follows: People buy bottled water in the country because they are concerned profoundly with health matters and thus inclined to regard bottled water as a source of good health. People also refrain from using tap water and opt for bottled water because of the contamination of tap water and disease threats associated with impure water. People also make their bottled water purchases under the influence of social practices and fashion symbols In Scotland, people have relatively higher level of income and good standard of living, therefore they tend to spend more on bottled water such as carbonated drinks etc for fun and pleasure Due to increase in the number of cars owned by individuals every year. Bottled water are easy to carry and dispose off due to their convenient package, therefore people prefer to buy bottled water while travelling. Developing Countries As evident from the above discussion, much of the reasons motivating people to purchase bottled water come from their life styles, fitness concerns, marketing influence, pleasure, income patterns and social status etc. These factors are rarely visible in most of the developing countries in the world. The two most important factors motivating the people to purchase expensive bottled water in developing world, especially in a country like Saudi Arabia are discussed below: Scarcity of water is one of the acute problems faced by