Firms see bright future for high-end water

 Global Times       [00:28 August 14 2009]                              By Zhao Qian

The high-end bottled drinking water market is huge in China but some domestic companies feel there's room for even a brighter future, especially for Chinese brands.

This is true despite the fact that foreign companies have long tapped the domestic market, officials at some water companies said yesterday.

"We predict that there will be 20 million to 30 million consumers who will drink high-quality water in the near future," said Fang Wenge, president of Hong Kong-based China Water Group.

"We prefer to enter into the high-end market, because the lower-end market has been saturated," Fang said.

Currently, a subsidiary of China Water Group – Guangzhou Xinchen Water Co – produces "Nine Thousand Year Dagu Glacier Water,"  which is sourced from a glacier in Sichuan Province.

"Consumers of high-quality water are those who pursue a high-quality life and have a high salary," Fang said.

Each bottle of 335-milliliter water costs about 11 yuan ($1.61), much more than the average bottles that go for about 1 yuan ($0.15) in stores.

Some other local bottled water companies, including Tibet Glacier Mineral Water and Shenzhen Ganten Industry, are also striving to expand into the high-end drinking water market.

Foreign companies such as Evian of France has been in China for some 20 years and remains competitive.

But Fang doesn't see Evian as a threat.

"Thanks to Evian, the image of water has been changed for the Chinese consumers," Fang said.

"In the past, they did not want to pay such a large amount of money to buy a small bottle of water," he added.

Fang said his "Nine Thousand Year Dagu Giacier Water" would eventually become China's Evian.

Fang Jian, an Evian sales manager in Dalian, said that the small local brands are unlikely to catch up with Evian, not to mention the competitions brought by other foreign brands.

中文版 

高端饮用水前景的公司访谈

环球时报英文版，8月14日--赵倩

    高端瓶装饮用水在中国拥有着巨大市场，但不少企业，尤其是国内品牌却感受不到他们的生存空间和他们的美好未来。

    昨日，某水业公司高管称，外企对国内高端水市场渴望已久是一个不可否认的事实。

    “我们预测，不久的将来会有二至三千万的高端饮用水消费者。事实上低端饮用水市场已经趋于饱和，所以我们更倾向于进入高端饮用水市场”总部设在美国的上市公司----中国水务集团总裁方文格先生谈到。

    目前，水源地位于四川省的“九千年原生态达古冰川泉水”是由广州新晨水务有限公司来运营，她是中国水务集团的子公司。

    “高端饮用水的目标消费群是那些追求高品质生活及高收入的人群”，方总裁补充提到。

    350毫升装的九千年冰川泉水单价为人民币11元（1.61美元），远远地超过了瓶装饮用水的人民币1元（0.15美元）市场平均价格水平。

    包括西藏5100冰川水、深圳景田在内的一些国内瓶装饮用水公司也在努力开拓中国的高端饮用水市场。诸如法国依云这样的外企业已进驻中国市场20余载，仍然保持强大的竞争力。

    但方总却不认为依云是一个威胁。

    相反，他提到，“我们感谢依云，是它转变了中国消费者对于高端饮用水的观念。在依云没有进入中国市场之前，人们根本不愿意花不菲的价钱去购买一小瓶水喝。我坚信，九千年原生态达古冰川泉水在不远的将来定将成为中国的依云！”

    依云驻大连的销售经理方建谈到，国内小品牌目前来说不太可能追上依云，更别提还有外国其它品牌的竞争。