Mineral water bottlers are left with large stocks, but few think of exporting

Two major investors, Jean Valvis and the Tuborg bottler will enter the mineral water market this year, put at 300 million euros, having exports as a clearly stated strategy. So far, however, the major entrepreneurs on this market have not looked at exports, although the local market fell by 20% in the first month of this year against January 2009.

Producers did not manage to sell in December stocks accumulated in winter, so overall volumes of mineral water bottled at SNAM sources (the National Mineral Waters Company) in the first month of 2010 were down by around 20% against January 2009, according to SNAM data. In all, 59 million litres of mineral water were bottled from SNAM sources, with the company holding over 80% of mineral water sources used by Romanian companies.

“I have not seen a local producer pursuing exports aggressively. I don’t see why water producers are not looking at exports at present, because there are opportunities to expand their business by starting production of mineral water for private labels of retail chains in neighbouring countries,” explains Andrei Cretu, consultant with AT Kearney.

Exports account for less than 5% of overall volumes bottled by the major mineral water producers in Romania, according to the latest data available on the market.