Highland Spring Group takes industry top spot

Increased brand sales, own label growth and new product development have seen Highland Spring Group reach the No 1 market position for the first time, supplying more bottled water in the UK than any other producer.

The new figures were released by industry expert Zenith International in its 2012 UK Bottled Water Report. Strong year on year growth of 10.8% to 374.6 million litres (excluding exports) propelled the Group into the market- leading position ahead of both UK and imported competitors.

With a 20.6% volume share of the packaged water market, more than one in every five litres of bottled water sold in the UK is now produced by Highland Spring Group. The company supplied 44.9 million litres more than its nearest rival. With sales growth of 36.6 million litres, the Group accounted for 69% of all growth in packaged waters in 2011.

For the first time since 2008, Highland Spring brand has become the number two ranked still water brand in the UK from an 8.8% brand share in 2010 to 9.4% in 2011 of the still bottled water sector. The brand also retained its long held position as the number one sparkling brand in 2011 with a brand share of the sparkling bottled water sector of 13.2% by volume; more than double its nearest competitor.

The bottled water market as a whole is in growth with value up 6% and volume up 3.1% year on year in 2011.