Report
Changes in 2.7m unit West Europe water cooler market
After two decades of strong growth, the West European water cooler market dipped by 0.6% during 2009 to 2.69m units at the end of the year, according to new research from Zenith International.
Plumbed-in mains water coolers, known as point of use or POU, continued their advance, rising by 10% to a 35% share, while the number of bottled water coolers fell back again by 5%.
“Against the backdrop of a widespread economic downturn, the cost saving potential from point of use was a major factor in this big change,” says Zenith senior market analyst Charmaine Holmes.
The UK and Italy remain the largest markets in West Europe, with a combined unit share in excess of 40%. More countries recorded net declines than in 2008, with many customers tightening their cooler requirements in order to save costs. Austria, Greece and Denmark were the strongest performers, making solid gains in terms of overall placements.
Traditionally, bottled water coolers were found in the boardroom and POU on the factory floor. Yet in recent years, the two sectors have become increasingly intertwined. Both are now found in a wide array of outlets and the majority of cooler operators offer both formats. The importance of POU is increasingly being recognised by industry associations, which are in turn helping raise standards within the industry. The UK and Italy are also the largest POU markets in West Europe.
For bottled water coolers, 2009 was a particularly difficult year: “It’s not surprising to see a further decline in more mature markets such as the UK, but 2009 also saw previously strong growth markets such as Spain and Greece especially hard hit by the severe economic conditions,” says Holmes.
Looking to the future, Zenith forecasts that the combined cooler market in West Europe will have grown to 3.2m units by 2014, 480,000 more than in 2009. POU is expected to continue making gains on bottled coolers, up to a share approaching 50%.
Source: Zenith International
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