Table of Contents
Scope and Themes
-
- What you need to know
- Definition
- Data sources
- Sales data
- Consumer survey data
- Advertising creative
- Abbreviations and terms
- Abbreviations
- Terms
Executive Summary
-
- The market
-
- Figure 1: Total U.S. retail sales and fan chart forecast of water filtration market, at current prices, 2007-17
- Market factors
- Growing concerns over the quality of municipal tap water
- Backlash over bottled water causes more consumers to consider alternatives
- Growing ethnic populations may drive market growth in the future
- Childhood obesity could increase usage
- Retail channels
- Key players
-
- Figure 2: MULO sales of water filtration products, by leading companies, 52 weeks ending Aug. 12, 2012
- The water filtration consumer
- Incidence of ownership is high
-
- Figure 3: Incidence of water filtration product ownership, July 2012
- Taste and health key reasons for why consumers currently own products
-
- Figure 4: Reasons for having water filtration product in home, July 2012
- Health perceptions and taste main drivers for initial purchase
-
- Figure 5: Reasons for initial purchase, July 2012
- Consumer reviews and personal recommendations play important role in influencing product purchase
-
- Figure 6: Purchase behaviors, by age, July 2012
- Eco-friendly opinions resonate the most strongly with consumers
-
- Figure 7: Attitudes toward water filtration, any agreement, July 2012
- Sufficient tap water functions as main detractor for many
-
- Figure 8: Water filtration detractors, July 2012
- What we think
Issues in the Market
-
- How can water filtration companies offer consumers greater convenience in order to compete with bottled water?
- What opportunities are there to engage older consumers who aren’t playing as big a role in this category?
- To what extent will growing ethnic populations play a role in the water filtration market?
Insights and Opportunities
-
- Brand extension into personal care
- Placing an emphasis on weight loss
- Focus on children and young families
- Integration of filters into other appliances or products
Trend Applications
-
- Trend: Transumers
- Trend: A Simple Balance for Health
- 2015 Trend: Access Anything, Anywhere
Market Size and Forecast
-
- Key points
- Water filtration market sales expected to grow at slower rate than years past
- Sales and forecast of water filtration market
-
- Figure 9: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of water filtration market, at current prices, 2007-17
- Figure 10: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of water filtration market, at inflation-adjusted prices, 2007-17
- Fan chart forecast
-
- Figure 11: Total U.S. retail sales and fan chart forecast of water filtration market, at current prices, 2007-17
Market Drivers
-
- Key points
- Growing concerns over the quality of municipal tap water
- Backlash over bottled water lessens, but continues on
- Growing ethnic populations may help market in the future
-
- Figure 12: Population, by race and Hispanic origin, 2007-17
- Childhood obesity concerns could increase usage
Competitive Context
-
- Municipal tap water is convenient and free
-
- Figure 13: Water filtration detractors, July 2012
- Bottled water consumption continues
Segment Performance
-
- Key points
- Market dominated largely by water softeners/treatments, but devices see growth
- Sales of water filtration products, by segment
-
- Figure 14: Total U.S. retail sales of water filtration products, by segment, at current prices, 2010 and 2012
Segment Performance—Water Softeners/Treatments
-
- Key points
- Expense and potential health concerns may be impacting segment
- Sales and forecast of water softeners/treatments
-
- Figure 15: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of water softeners/treatments, at current prices, 2007-17
Segment Performance—Devices
-
- Key points
- Device segment is best-performing segment in the market
- Sales and forecast of water filtration devices
-
- Figure 16: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of devices, at current prices, 2007-17
Segment Performance—Filters
-
- Key points
- Filters segment is struggling the most
- Sales and forecast of filters
-
- Figure 17: Total U.S. retail sales and forecast of filters, at current prices, 2007-17
Retail Channels
-
- Key point
- Majority of water filtration purchases take place in mass merchandisers, hardware stores, and home centers
- Sales of water filtration products, by channel
-
- Figure 18: Total U.S. retail sales of water filtration products, by channel, at current prices, 2010-12
Retail Channels—Supermarkets
-
- Key points
- Supermarket sales struggle, but there may be opportunities for growth
- Supermarket sales of water filtration products
-
- Figure 19: U.S. supermarket sales of water filtration products, at current prices, 2007-12
Retail Channels—Drug Stores
-
- Key points
- Drug store channel experiencing most dramatic decline
- Drug store sales of water filtration products
-
- Figure 20: U.S drug store sales of water filtration products, at current prices, 2007-12
Retail Channels—Other Retail Channels
-
- Key points
- Other retail channels experiencing gains will likely continue to do so in the coming years
- Other retail channels sales of water filtration products
-
- Figure 21: U.S sales of water filtration products, through other channels, at current prices, 2007-12
Leading Companies
-
- Key points
- Three players command the majority of the market share
- MULO manufacturer sales of water filtration products
-
- Figure 22: MULO sales of water filtration products, by leading companies, 2011 and 2012
Brand Share—Water Softeners/Treatments
-
- Key points
- Overall segment is declining but Morton Salt still dominates
- MULO sales of water softeners/treatments
-
- Figure 23: MULO sales of water softeners/treatments, by leading companies, 2011 and 2012
Brand Share—Water Filtration Devices
-
- Key points
- Brita and other brands boast growth
- PUR struggles
- MULO sales of water filtration devices
-
- Figure 24: MULO sales of water filtration devices, by leading companies, 2011 and 2012
Brand Share—Filters
-
- Key point
- MULO filter sales experience declines similar to those experienced by the overall segment
- MULO sales of filters
-
- Figure 25: MULO sales of filters, by leading companies, 2011 and 2012
Innovations and Innovators
-
- Overview
- Portability a key market trend
- Kid-friendly products beginning to emerge
- Sleeker and more modern designs
Marketing Strategies
-
- Overview of the brand landscape
- Brand analysis: Brita
-
- Figure 26: Brand analysis of Brita, 2012
- Online initiatives
-
- Figure 27: Tweets from Brita FilterForGood twitter account, 2012
- TV presence
-
- Figure 28: Brita Bottle television ad, 2011
- Brand analysis: PUR
-
- Figure 29: Brand analysis of PUR, 2012
- Online initiatives
-
- Figure 30: Tweets from PUR twitter account, 2012
- TV presence
-
- Figure 31: PUR One-Click Water television ad, 2012
- Figure 32: PUR One Click Faucet television ad, 2012
- Brand analysis: Bobble
-
- Figure 33: Brand analysis of Bobble, 2012
- Online initiatives
-
- Figure 34: Tweets from Bobble twitter account, 2012
Incidence of Water Filtration Product Ownership
-
- Key points
- Overall water filtration product/system ownership high across segments
-
- Figure 35: Incidence of water filtration product ownership, July 2012
- Incidence of ownership of products/systems declines with age in most instances
-
- Figure 36: Incidence of water filtration product ownership, by age, July 2012
- Usage of water filtration systems/devices highest among higher-income households
-
- Figure 37: Incidence of water filtration product ownership, by household income, July 2012
Water Filtration Brand Incidence
-
- Key points
- Many consumers use Brita brand but “other” brands more prevalent
-
- Figure 38: Water filtration brands used, by household income, January 2011-March 2012
- Brita has strong presence in the Northeast while PUR finds most users in the South
-
- Figure 39: Water filtration brands used, by region, January 2011-March 2012
Reasons for Owning Water Filtration Products/Systems
-
- Key points
- Taste and health key reasons for why consumers filter their water
-
- Figure 40: Reasons for having water filtration product in home, by gender, July 2012
- Younger consumers look to save money; older consumers want to improve the taste of their coffee or tea
-
- Figure 41: Reasons for having water filtration product in home, by age, July 2012
- Lower-income households driven by health and cost; higher-income households already have these products at home
-
- Figure 42: Reasons for having water filtration product in home, by household income, July 2012
- Urban consumers more driven by health and cost than suburban and rural counterparts
-
- Figure 43: Reasons for having water filtration product in home, by urban area, July 2012
- Specific product types are tied with why consumers have these products in their homes
-
- Figure 44: Reasons for having water filtration product in home, by incidence of water filtration product ownership, July 2012
-
- Figure 45: Reasons for having water filtration product in home, by incidence of water filtration product ownership, July 2012
Reasons for Initial Purchase
-
- Key points
- Health perceptions and taste main drivers for initial purchase
-
- Figure 46: Reasons for initial purchase, by gender, July 2012
- Health a main trigger for younger consumers; convenience more likely to be trigger for older consumers
-
- Figure 47: Reasons for initial purchase, by age, July 2012
- Health and taste main reasons for consumers in lower-income segments
-
- Figure 48: Reasons for initial purchase, by household income, July 2012
- Greater variety of reasons for initial purchase of water filtration products come from households with children
-
- Figure 49: Reasons for initial purchase, by presence of children in household, July 2012
- Owners of pitchers, tap/faucet mounted filters, and portable water bottles most likely to have reacted to common drivers
-
- Figure 50: Reasons for initial purchase, by incidence of water filtration product ownership, July 2012
- Figure 51: Reasons for initial purchase, by incidence of water filtration product ownership, July 2012
Purchase Behaviors
-
- Key points
- Consumer reviews and personal recommendations play important role in influencing product purchase
-
- Figure 52: Purchase behaviors, by gender, July 2012
- Consumer reviews and personal recommendations play important role in influencing product purchase
-
- Figure 53: Purchase behaviors, by age, July 2012
- Those with children in the home more discerning in purchase behaviors
-
- Figure 54: Purchase behaviors, by presence of children in household, July 2012
Purchase Factors
-
- Key points
- Ease of use and ease of installation the most important factors
-
- Figure 55: Purchase factors, by gender, July 2012
- Consumers aged 25-44 most likely to find a number of features important
-
- Figure 56: Purchase factors, by age, July 2012
Retail Locations
-
- Key points
- Mass merchandisers and home builder stores key retail channels
-
- Figure 57: Retail locations, July 2012
- Lower-income consumers more likely to shop at mass merchandisers
-
- Figure 58: Retail locations, by household income, July 2012
- Product comparisons most likely to take place at mass merchandisers
-
- Figure 59: Retail locations, by purchase behaviors, July 2012
Attitudes toward Water Filtration
-
- Key points
- Eco-friendly attitudes most prevalent
-
- Figure 60: Attitudes toward water filtration, July 2012
- Consumers aged 25-34 display strongest agreement in statements focused on benefits and concerns around water quality
-
- Figure 61: Attitudes toward water filtration, by age, July 2012
- Consumers in households of less than $50K have strong opinions around water filtration
-
- Figure 62: Attitudes toward water filtration, by household income, July 2012
- Presence of children drives stronger concern around tap water safety and perceived superiority of filtered water
-
- Figure 63: Attitudes toward water filtration, by presence of children in household, July 2012
Water Filtration Detractors
-
- Key points
- Sufficient tap water acts as main detractor for most consumers
-
- Figure 64: Water filtration detractors, by gender, July 2012
- Consumers aged 55+ most likely to be fine with current tap water available
-
- Figure 65: Water filtration detractors, by age, July 2012
- Income determines main detractors for consumers
-
- Figure 66: Water filtration detractors, by household income, July 2012
- Midwest consumers the most satisfied with their tap water quality
-
- Figure 67: Water filtration detractors, by region, July 2012
Race and Hispanic Origin
-
- Key points
- Asians/Pacific Islanders most likely to own water filtration products
-
- Figure 68: Incidence of water filtration product ownership, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2012
- Brita commands high usage rate among Asians; PUR commands high usage rate among blacks
-
- Figure 69: Water filtration brands used, by race/Hispanic origin, January 2011-March 2012
- Blacks own water filtration products due to health and cost savings
-
- Figure 70: Reasons for having water filtration product in home, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2012
- Blacks more likely than other demographic segments to react to a number of triggers
-
- Figure 71: Reasons for initial purchase, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2012
- Consumer reviews and personal recommendations even more impactful for blacks, other races, and Hispanics
-
- Figure 72: Purchase behaviors, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2012
- Hispanics and other races least likely to cite sufficient tap water and taste as being detractors
-
- Figure 73: Water filtration detractors, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2012
Appendix—Other Useful Consumer Tables
-
- Incidence of water filtration product ownership
-
- Figure 74: Incidence of water filtration product ownership, by gender, July 2012
-
- Figure 75: Incidence of water filtration product ownership, by age, July 2012
-
- Figure 76: Incidence of water filtration product ownership, by household income, July 2012
-
- Figure 77: Incidence of water filtration product ownership, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2012
- Reasons for purchase
-
- Figure 78: Reasons for initial purchase, by urban area, July 2012
- Purchase behaviors
-
- Figure 79: Purchase behaviors, by household income, July 2012
-
- Figure 80: Purchase behaviors, by generation, July 2012
- Purchase factors
-
- Figure 81: Purchase factors, July 2012
-
- Figure 82: Purchase factors, by household income, July 2012
-
- Figure 83: Purchase factors, by generation, July 2012
- Retail locations
-
- Figure 84: Retail locations, by age, July 2012
-
- Figure 85: Retail locations, by race/Hispanic origin, July 2012
-
- Figure 87: Retail locations, by generation, July 2012
- Attitudes toward water filtration
-
- Figure 88: Attitudes toward water filtration, by gender, July 2012
-
- Figure 89: Attitudes toward water filtration, by age, July 2012
-
- Figure 90: Attitudes toward water filtration, by household income, July 2012
- Water filtration detractors
-
- Figure 91: Water filtration detractors, by urban area, July 2012
-
- Figure 92: Water filtration detractors, by generation, July 2012
Appendix—Trade Associations
Back to top