UK: Hot summer lifts Highland Spring water sales

By just-drinks.com editorial team | 13 August 2010

Highland Spring recorded a 6.5% increase in sales of sparkling bottled water in June

An increase in June sales for Highland Spring indicates that the bottled water market in the UK has had a good summer.

Highland Spring said yesterday (13 August) that it saw a 6.5% increase in net sales of sparkling bottled water for the month of June to GBP1.65m (US$2.57m).

Official figures show that the UK has experienced its hottest June this year since 1975, while the north-west has experienced its driest period since 1929.

Highland Spring said that group sales hit GBP10m in June, making it the best performing month in the company’s history. The growth was predominantly driven by a 100% increase in sales of single-serve bottles, as parched consumers reached for water on-the-go.

Les Montgomery, chief executive of Highland Spring, said: “Sparkling water sales rise in hot weather as people use it for summer entertaining and as alternative refreshment to carbonated soft drinks.

"With the market growing by 9% year-on-year, this continued growth will help us reach our ambition of becoming a GBP100m turnover business by 2013.”

In June, Montgomery told just-drinks that the bottled water firm wants to challenge impulse channel.

Sectors: Company results, Soft drinks, Water