NEW YORK— The hydration bottle category is continuing to see growth as consumers become more conscious about the importance of drinking enough water as part of their health regimen.
An increasing number of on-the-go consumers are looking to bring enough water with them to last throughout the day, and for it to be kept cold for as long as possible. Because the bottle is with them all day, wherever they go, it has led to a surge in more fashionable water bottle designs.
“It’s a pretty exciting time to be in the reusable water bottle business, because there is such heightened awareness of the environmental impact of disposable water bottles, and there has been more discussion about dehydration and hydration,” said Todd Olsen, senior product director, PMI’s Aladdin brand.
“Kids are hearing about hydration from gym teachers and coaches, parents are hearing about it from pediatricians and blogs,” said Olsen.
For Oggi Corporation, hydration is the strongest sales category, said Steve Curtis, national sales manager, Oggi. Curtis said hydration bottles used to be for workouts, at the gym or during running or biking. “Now it seems to be much broader. People are using their bottles when traveling in the car, to the beach, camping, backpacking. Multiple use, quality product is what consumers are gravitating towards,” he said.
While drug, mass and specialty stores continue to tap into the hydration category, other channels are also adding water bottles, for example, the Jo-Ann’s craft store chain.
“Retailers are looking for more traffic, to give the consumer a reason to come more often,” said Philippe Trudeau, president, Trudeau.
Curtis noted the uptick in the number of new accounts that Oggi had opened during the Dallas and Atlanta markets. Color drew buyers into the showroom, he related, such as independents from the Midwest and East Coast.
The challenge for many retailers is keeping their section well merchandised. “Retailers are trying to figure out how to make that section a more shoppable experience. No one has cracked the code,” said one vendor.
Retailers are experimenting with both permanent and disposable PDQs, fixtures with beverageware in rows and shelf organization. Trudeau also said that retailers are requesting labels on the bottle rather than hang tags or other packaging, so that consumers can more easily see benefits. Trudeau is working on incorporating that for its hydration products for 2017, he noted.
In addition to offering a wider variety of colors, retailers are also widening options such as different capacities, and lids with specific functions, said Jessica Jabcon, director of marketing, Thermos.
“Since hydration is such an important focus for consumers, we’ve seen retailers making hydration products more of a priority. This includes larger, more organized product sections in housewares areas, as well as in back-to-school and health and wellness areas of retail stores,” said Jabcon.
“Consumers are willing to pay more for a bottle that looks good. We found out that the main driver of purchases by consumers is how the product looks,” said Trudeau. At the housewares level, “the brand has no play in this. The first thing is look, then usability,” asserted Trudeau.
Fashion is not only incorporated into bottles via colors and patterns, but also
via finishes, textures, and metal treatments, said Todd Starr, vp/marketing and development, Ignite USA.
Tracy Wilson, senior product manager, hydration, Cool Gear International, said that companies have been creating what she called an artisan look. “They are really trying to create a bottle that looks like a piece of artwork. These bottles generate consumer intrigue and draw them in,” said Wilson. Cool Gear’s Collinear bottle features an art-driven design in a 62.5-ounce large capacity.
“Retailers have been open to accepting a wide variety of product colors. This allows a consumer the ability to match their hydration product with his or her own personality and style preferences,” said Jabcon.
“Consumers want to match their bottles to their shoes or their pocketbook. They are becoming accessory pieces,” said Brian Melzer, president, Epoca International.
While plastic still has the lion share of the category, from a material standpoint, consumers are stepping up to the insulating properties of stainless steel vacuum insulated bottles.
“Our lines of stainless steel vacuum sealed bottles, many of which will hold their temperature for more than eight hours, are popular and the demand grows daily,” said Don Waters, marketing manager, TTU.
“There’s a significant base of consumers that are looking for better thermal performance and stainless steel vacuum insulated is the best way for them to do that,” said PMI’s Olsen.
From a pricepoint standpoint, consumers are willing to spend more for added functionality, particularly if they are using the bottle daily. If it has all the features they are looking for, consumers are willing to spend more, above the $15 mark, with most of the volume being around $20, noted vendors.
Keeping track of water intake is an important part of staying hydrated, and for many consumers when it comes to hydration, bigger is better, so that their water needs are met throughout the day.
“Large volume hydration bottles, in particular our Rove Big Boy line, are moving so quickly that we are working overtime just to maintain inventory,” said TTU’s Waters.
While the standard sizes for on-the-go beverageware were 16- and 20- ounces, sizes now range from 28 to 34-ounces to 50 to 60-ounces. Bottles that help consumers keep track of how much water they’ve consumed, such as analog dials or those that connect with wearable devices, are also on the rise.
“Consumers are expecting more from hydration products and are leaning more toward innovative products that solve very specific issues,” said Irv Zakheim, chairman and CEO, Zak Designs. The company’s HydraTrak bottles use colored bands to track intake.
Aladdin’s 26-ounce Active hydration bottle features a rotating collar, available for shipping in spring 2017, that helps users track water consumption.
Nutritional supplements are also important in many healthy lifestyles. “As the prevalence of meal replacement shakes, protein powders and flavored water becomes more widespread, consumers are looking for specialized products that allow them to supplement their diets,” added Zakheim. Planet Zak’s Chug mixer bottle features a mixer ball to help shake up supplements.
Epoca International’s Primula brand is focused on “creating a beverage experience,” said Melzer, focusing on what he calls functional hydration. The line includes bottles for cold brew coffee, as well as a fruit infusion line called Sentinel.
Beverageware options that serve multi-functional purposes is also important. A vacuum insulated bottle can be used to keep morning tea hot, for water during the day, and for use in keeping a smoothie or fresh-pressed juice cold as an afternoon refreshment, suggested Thermos’ Jabcon.