Consumers are taking their water with them—whether they are hiking, going to the gym or even heading into the office—and products that help with that are selling well.
That’s according to a recent study by The NPD Group Inc., which reports that Hydration represents a $345.7 million dollar growth category for the outdoors industry. But kitchenware retailers can ‘tap’ into the water trend too, with sales of products that make carrying your own water easier.
Consider this: sales for hydration products are up 16 percent in the year ending May 2017, with dollar sales growing by $94 million in the past two years (or 37 percent).
“There’s no life without water, and there’s no day when consumers go somewhere without it,” says Matt Powell, NPD vice president, who notes that the industry has delivered on a variety of new products and technologies that have made the category a vibrant one.
“Over the years, we’ve witnessed a movement from plastic water bottles to portable beverageware to eco-friendly insulation that promises to keep our water clean and cold for days,” he says, adding that it’s not just the outdoors types who are toting their own water. “Being healthy, environmentally conscious and promoting sustainability have always been among the values of the core outdoor consumer; but today they have become societal standards across all demographics. What a product stands for is now often more important than the item itself. This is an inclination that retailers and manufacturers should take into consideration when marketing to consumers.”
Nearly all hydration categories have experienced an increase in sales, NPD says, including bottles (23 percent), hands-free fanny packs (11 percent), large containers/jugs (7 percent) and reservoirs (2 percent). Coinciding with the start of music festival season, sales of reservoirs and bladders grew by 5 percent in April and May.
Bottles represent the bulk of hydration sales at $175.5 million, and average selling price for these products has increased by 28 percent during the most recent 12-month period.
Stainless steel bottles have now surpassed acrylic, nearly doubling sales to $95.6 million in one year and claiming 54 percent share of the category. Acrylic, which held 63 percent market share two years ago, is now at 31 percent with $54.1 million in sales.
