Nestle Waters First Half Bottled Water Sales Decline a Startling 38%

The building backlash against bottled water has sent Nestle’s formerly fast-growing bottled water division into a tailspin.

By my figures, first half bottled water revenues declined a startling 38%.

From Water Innovation magazine:

Overall bottled water sales fell from 5 billion Swiss Francs (€3 billion) to 3.1 billion (€1.9 billion) due to the slowing economy as well as environmental consumer concerns. However, sales of bottled water in emerging markets such Greater China, Africa, South Asia and the Middle continued to grow. The company’s Poland Spring and Nestlé Pure Life brands achieved positive growth, while its Italian premium water S. Pellegrino also continued to do well on the market.

We can put a number on the revenue decline; what’s not quantified is the the damage being done to Nestle’s name by the company’s insistence on the use of brand-damaging, negative-PR-generating rural water mining projects.

Will Nestle’s stakeholders begin agitating for a change of direction?

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