Water coolers up to 5.8m units in the US, new figures show

According to a new report from Zenith International, the US water cooler market expanded to nearly 5.8m units installed at the end of 2015, up 6.5% on 2013.

2015 marked a fifth consecutive year of volume and value growth. Bottled water coolers continued to dominate with a 76.5% share, but mains-fed water coolers have climbed rapidly to a 23.5% share.

At 4.4m, the number of traditional bottled water coolers is lower than ten years ago, but 3% higher than in 2010. Meanwhile, mains-fed water cooler numbers have grown by 60% since 2010 to almost 1.4m units.

“Gradual economic recovery has enabled households and businesses to improve their quality of life again,” commented Zenith market analyst Iuliana Boda. “Healthier hydration contributes to that, with point-of-use coolers competing strongly on price and convenience.”

Zenith forecasts that the total market will reach 6.8m units by the end of 2020. Then mains-fed coolers are expected to account for over 30% of the total market.