Highland Spring, is making it even easier for shoppers to stay hydrated across a whole range of occasions with the launch of a new 10L Hydration Pack – a first for UK retail.
Ideal for both in-store and online sales, the 10L hydration unit taps into an emerging consumer trend for alternative packaging solutions and the desire for a natural source water across a range of occasions both in and out of home.
With water fountains removed from public spaces, the new pack has a much longer shelf-life than other formats (keeps fresh for around 4 weeks once opened) and provides a flexible water delivery solution for use in and out of the home.
In-store from late-March, the exciting new Highland Spring 10L hydration pack caters for the increase in staycations and a ‘one big shop’ mentality. This has led to strong growth for large formats across multiple categories, for example, wine, and many premium brands entering the market.
With no branded water offer currently on UK shelves and a very limited presence online; the launch promises growth for water dispense solutions, as seen in the European and US water categories[1], presenting a substantial opportunity for Highland Spring and UK retailers to tap into this growing trend and sales potential.
Carol Saunders, Head of Marketing at Highland Spring, comments: “We have all seen the shopper landscape shift considerably since the COVID-19 pandemic hit. We have responded by innovating and adapting our Highland Spring product portfolio to deliver a format for every occasion, from on-the-go to at-home decanting. This ensures we can continue to provide our shoppers and customers with the most effective natural source water solutions to meet a whole range of existing and new consumer occasions.
“We know shoppers are concerned about product safety and the environment. We need to listen and respond to that. Seeing the strength of dispense solutions in other categories and markets presented us with an opportunity to act and we’re proud to bring UK retail a branded personal and portable natural still source water dispense unit.
“Shopper habits have been fundamentally changed by the pandemic. As people continue to work from home and go out less, we’ve seen a shift into larger bottle, larger format packs[2].
“The new space efficient 10L hydration pack should be merchandised in-store with Highland Spring multi-pack formats, mid-shelf for ease of handling. The easy-to-store pack also provides a solution that supports online delivery streams, offering convenience and enabling us to reach more shoppers.”
Research shows consumers are looking for good value for money, good quality and something that is pure and natural[3]. 48% of current bottled water buyers said a large dispense still water format from Highland Spring would be very appealing, and 1 in 2 shoppers said they would include it in their online shop[4]. The new launch delivers strong consumer appeal for a pack that provides better value for money, uses less plastic and stays fresh for longer once opened, than other formats.
The new Highland Spring Still Water 10L hydration pack provides the flexibility for anytime and any occasion, with consumers finding it appealing for general drinking at home (56%), social gatherings (34%) and decanting into smaller bottles (36%), as well as picnics and BBQs (43%) and camping and caravan holidays (38%)[5]. The hydration pack also saw appeal for use at work.
“2021 will be a major year for Highland Spring,” concludes Carol Saunders. “We remain hugely confident in the natural source water category and this exciting launch is one of many major innovations to come from the brand as we listen and respond to shopper demands in an ever-changing market.”
The launch of Highland Spring’s 10L dispense unit will be celebrated by an integrated marketing campaign, including shopper marketing, as well as social, PR and digital support
[1] Global market worth $3.12bn in 2018 with CAGR 6.3%. Grandviewresearch.com 2019
[2] Nielsen Scantrack MAT Sales to 05.09.20
[3] Highland Spring commissioned research August 2020 (Base 742 consumers)
[4] Highland Spring commissioned research August 2020 (Base 742 consumers)
[5] Highland Spring commissioned research August 2020 (Base 742 consumers)
