Nestlé began its entry into the water business in 1969 with a 30% stake in the owners of the Société Générale des Eaux Minérales de Vittel. It acquired a controlling interest in SGEMV in January 1992, and went on in May of the same year to buy out the entire Perrier Group.
In 1992, Nestlé was the first company to dare to launch a mineral water, Valvert, in five different countries at once. Its originality lay in the use of an all-new plastic, P.E.T. (polyethylene teraphthalate), which is stronger and more elastic than the PVC used since 1968. Besides, P.E.T. is recyclable.
By the end of 1997, the Group was present on every continent, and the purchase of San Pellegrino gave it the leadership in the Italian market. In 1998, for the first time in its history, Nestlé associated its name with a bottled water: Nestlé Pure Life.
The brand was launched in Pakistan and soon appeared in Brazil, followed by Argentina, Thailand, the Philippines, China, and Mexico in 2000. In 2001, India, Jordan, and Lebanon followed, and in 2002, Egypt, Uzbekistan and the United States.
Nestlé Pure Life is drinking water that has been treated and remineralized using a standardized industrial process to ensure purity and quality and is marketed in emerging countries.
A second product with the Nestlé name was launched in May 2000, this time in six European countries: Nestlé Aquarel. A natural spring water currently from nine different springs in France, Germany, Belgium, Hungary, Italy and Spain, Nestlé Aquarel also uses the multi-source concept to satisfy new consumer expectations, especially for water with a low mineral content that the whole family can drink.
In April 2002, the Group changed its name to Nestlé Waters, a token of Nestlé's decisive commitment to the bottled water market, which now represents 9% of its sales. Today, Nestlé Waters is established in 130 countries and markets about 70 different brands. The Group is able to offer top quality brands and innovative packaging to meet the individual needs of the water consumer all over the world, whenever, wherever and however thanks to the wide variety of its offer in terms of distribution and product mix.
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