Bottled water demand rockets in province

SUPERMARKETS have seen a drastic increase of 93% in the demand for bottled water in the province for the December 2017/January 2018 period, compared to the same time last year, says the Shoprite Group.

The group said some of the supermarket products seeing an increase in demand include bottled water, buckets, plastic storage containers and dispensers, hygiene cosmetic products (dry shampoo, wet wipes, hand sanitisers), grey-water connectors, waterless car wash, plant food (water-wise crystals), toilet foams and neutralising sprays, dry foam cleaning products, water jugs and filters, shower timers and water-saving shower heads.

“The Shoprite Group will continue to prioritise reducing water usage across our business in the Western Cape, including all stores, distribution centres and the home office in Brackenfell; communicating to and educating consumers and staff about ways in which to save water; planning for Day Zero so that our stores are able continue serving customers once the taps have run dry; and making products available to consumers to assist them with water-saving efforts.”

Shoprite said it has a guaranteed supply of bottled water which will be made available to consumers.

The group’s water-saving initiatives include a smart meter roll-out programme for schools, through the #Smart Water Meter Challenge which began last November.

The programme has seen about 15 million litres of water saved to date.

Woolworths Food head of innovation Richard Stockley said the pending Day Zero would have an impact on operations in the province, and the company expects that it may impact staff availability, product availability and store operations.

“However, we have very clearly defined plans in place to continue operations in our stores, distribution centres and head office,” he added.