THE GLOBAL MARKETS

Gary Hemphill, managing director of research at the US Beverage Marketing Corporation, shares with HN a general overview of the status of bottled water in the US, echoing international trends. Capping a remarkable, decades-long streak of vigorous growth, bottled water passed a major milestone in 2016, when it surpassed carbonated soft drinks to become the largest beverage category by volume in the United States. The bottled water category is experiencing solid growth, mostly driven by consumer demand for healthier refreshment. Singleserving sizes of those bottles became the most popular option, driving overall growth of the category and accounting for the majority of its volume.