Bottled water market in China: the Acqua Filette experience

Abstract

This Master Thesis' subject is water, considered all over the world as one of the life's basic requirements, that from a simple natural element becomes, in the form of bottled water, a commercial product on the international market. The thesis summarizes the results of the analysis conducted on the methods of use, management and control of mineral waters for human consumption, arriving then to what is the world of bottled water, starting from the birth of the product and its industry, passing through the affirmation of a constantly growing market. The aim is to underline how, what we simply call "water" is instead a synonym for business and status symbol, particularly in the Asia-Pacific Region's countries. Through market surveys we know that, in the recent years, China has been one of the first countries in the world in the consumption of bottled water. Today, in fact, what we could only consider as a daily routine gesture - to buy and drink bottled water - is not only a need that comes from a special attention for a healthy body, but also means, especially for the Chinese population, to make a buying experience of a particular brand, to follow a social trend. In this context, the focus of this work is to analyze the Chinese bottled water market, considering national and foreign brands. In particular, we see how an Italian bottling company, Acqua Filette s.r.l., has decided to enter the Chinese market, which are the distribution channels used by the company, its strategies and market sales.