Bye Bye Bottled Water?
In recent years, bottled water has become a type of status symbol in the United States–much the same way a cup of swill from StarBucks has been over the years. The up-and-coming bistros in big cities such as New York and Los Angeles have long subscribed to importing Perrier, Evian, Santa Lucia, and other European brands of bottled water to offer their customers the highest quality–quality that is termed “the snob factor.” However, because of the intensive production process and carbon-based shipping methods, these bistros are now looking at a less expensive, more environmentally friendly beverage: tap water–filtered and carbonated on-site. Global warming conscious consumers are increasingly more concerned about the health of the environment over the “snob factor” of their water. Does this mean Perrier will disappear from the US market? Probably not. But industry leaders like Coke, Pepsi, and Poland Spring are expressing interest in stepping up their domestic production and acquiring smaller domestic producers of bottled water. Perhaps now would be a good time to invest in Brita and PUR?
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