The gourd market - France (2023)

1.2 A booming global market

The global gourd market was valued at $*.** billion in **** and is expected to grow at a CAGR of *.*% over the period **** - ****.

Global gourd market size projection World, **** - ****, in billions of dollars Source: ****

Collective awareness of the pollution caused by plastic, coupled with rising living standards in many developing countries, have contributed to increased demand for gourds in recent years. In addition, during the **** containment period, households spent more money on furnishing and equipping their homes than usual, so gourd sales also benefited from this period. What's more, some countries have begun to ban the purchase of single-use bottles, such as Australia, Canada and a few Indian states, giving residents a strong incentive to invest in reusable water bottles[***].

Asia-Pacific represents the largest regional market for water bottles, with a **% market share by ****. South Asian governments have realized the environmental pressure they're under, so they've started encouraging their populations to buy gourds. The second largest regional market is North America, with a **.*% share in ****[***].

At present, gourds are mainly made of plastic. Indeed, in ****, the plastic bottle segment held a **.*% market share by value, due to the extremely low production costs and long life of this material. However, for environmental ...

1.3 A fast-growing national market

at the time of writing, no market size is available for the gourd market. We therefore present below a method for estimating this market size:

The most reliable estimate is based on the results of a Gobi x OpinionWay survey published in May ****. According to their results, **% of French people own a gourd, they own an average of two, and the lifespan of a gourd is estimated at two years. We can therefore assume that **% of French people buy a new gourd every year, so all we need to do is multiply the number of sales by the average price of a gourd, which we can't find, so we'll make a low and a high estimate.

Assumptions

French population: **M (***) Number of French gourde owners: *.** x **M = **.**M (***) Average price of gourd in France (***) Average price gourde France (***)

Calculations

Size of gourd market in France (***) = C x B = €** x **.**M = €***.*M Size of gourd market in France (***) = D x B = **€ x **.** = €*.*** billion

Thus, the size of the French market in **** is very likely to be between €*** million and €*.* billion.

Estimated size of the French gourd market France, ****, in millions of euros Source: ****

The French gourd market is benefiting from the declining ...

1.4 Balance of trade

Unfortunately, there is no NAF code covering all gourds, so we'll be looking at imports and exports in the sector identified by code ****, which covers isothermal bottles and vacuum containers. This market is not limited to gourds and includes other products, but its trends reflect the gourd market.

Exports from the isothermal bottles and vacuum containers sector France, **** - ****, in thousands of tons Source: ****

Volumes of isothermal bottles and vacuum containers exported fell slightly in **** (***).

Exports of isothermal bottles and vacuum containers by value France, **** - ****, in millions of dollars Source: ****

However, the value of exports did not fall in ****, but, as in the case of volume, experienced very strong growth from **** onwards (***).

Main buyers of French products France, ****, in millions of $ and in tons Source: ****

The main buyers are France's European neighbors, with Germany standing out in first place, particularly in terms of value. Interestingly, Spain, *ᵉʳ buyer by volume, is only *ᵉ by value.

Imports from the isothermal bottles and vacuum containers sector by volume France, **** - ****, in thousands of tons Source: ****

Import volumes of isothermal bottles and vacuum containers, which were steadily increasing between **** and ****, saw a significant drop in **** (***).

Isothermal bottle and vacuum container imports by value France, **** - ...

2.1 Bottled water loses popularity to tap water

In ****, **% of French people drank bottled water and only **% tap water. The trend was reversed for the first time in ****, and has been maintained ever since.

trends in water consumption France, **** - ****, in Source: ****

The gap continues to widen, with more and more French people drinking tap water every day. However, the majority of the population admits to drinking both tap and bottled water.

What do the French drink? France, ****, in Source: ****

People living in the Paris region in particular tend to drink bott led water[***].

Gourd sales have already affected plastic bottle sales, which have fallen by *% in three years.

The three main reasons for the popularity of tap water, according to the Centre d'Information sur l'Eau, are growing consumer confidence in the quality of tap water, the very high cost of bottled water and ecological awareness.according to the latest TNS-SOFRES survey, some **% of those questioned are satisfied with the water service. What's more, **% of French people are aware that tap water is subject to regular controls, and **% feel that these controls are sufficient. However, for the majority of respondents, taste is the main difference between tap water and bottled water.

In your opinion, what are the main differences ...

2.2 The French are increasingly eco-responsible

**% of French people are well aware of the need to adopt eco-responsible behavior on a daily basis, and believe thatusing a water bottle is a gesture worth adopting.

What are the main eco-responsible gestures to adopt on a daily basis? France, ****, in Source: ****

It also emerges that people over ** prefer simple daily gestures and the purchase of local products. Younger people, on the other hand, place greater importance on using water bottles, buying in bulk and using more environmentally-friendly means of transport.

Of the following practices, to what extent do you consider them to be environmentally problematic? France, ****, in Source: ****

**% of French people think that the use of plastic bottles is problematic from an environmental point of view, and **% think that over-packaging is problematic. More and more French people think that ecology should be a central issue in politics, with **% of them believing that environmental issues should be at the heart of the presidential election.

Disposables in France:

The gourd is the reusable equipment most used by the French for eating or drinking outside the home.

In your daily life, what reusable equipment do you use to eat or drink outside the home? France, ****, % of total Source: ****

We can also ...

2.3 The French and gourds

According to a May **** Gobi, OpinionWay survey, **% of French people use a gourd on a daily basis, and users own an average of two that they've been using for four years. The **-** age group is over-represented, and gourds are more commonly owned by women and people living in the south of France.

The average lifespan is two years, and **% of French people bought their gourds themselves. The gourd has become a trendy and increasingly popular gift. What's more, many companies and festivals offer gourds as gifts. Of the **% of French people who have received a gourd as a gift, **% have received one free of charge, without it being a gift from a loved one.

How did you obtain the gourd you currently use? France, ****, in Source: ****

The gourd is very interesting economically speaking, as tap water costs on average *** times less than bottled water. For a daily consumption of *.*L per person, tap water would cost €* per year, compared with €*** - €*** for bottled water[***].in addition, younger consumers show greater sensitivity to product prices, while people over ** seem to be more concerned about the quality of the materials used in the products they buy.

What material is your current water ...

2.4 Consumer apprehension about the health risks of gourds and tap water

Water can cause two types of pathologies:

Infectious pathologies (***); Pathologies linked to chemical pollution.

The substances that pollute tap water are :

Lead ; Pesticides ; Nitrates; Arsenic; Water chlorination by-products; Drug residues.

However, tap water is the most strictly controlled product in France[***]. The rules are strict: the water must contain no trace of micro-organisms. It undergoes several stages of purification, is monitored, and its content of metals and other substances must not exceed certain thresholds. These values are calculated to ensure that consumption of this water over a lifetime has no impact on health. The Agence nationale de sécurité sanitaire de l'alimentation, de l'environnement et du travail (***) has been tasked by the Direction générale de la santé with assessing the health risks associated with exceeding these limits.s to assess the health risks associated with exceeding the quality limits and references for water intended for human consumption, for each of the parameters listed in the French Public Health Code.

Another widespread concern is the health risks associated with the use of water bottles. A poorly maintained water bottle can be dangerous to your health. If it contains anything other than water, there is a risk of mildew and increased ...

2.5 The rise of B2B demand

Atrendy object par excellence, the gourd is now in demand by many music festivals, sports clubs, companies and local authorities, who offer these objects to their customers or employees. This phenomenon is particularly beneficial for gourd manufacturers, since corporate consumption often focuses on high-end items, enabling manufacturers to generate higher margins[***].

The role of public authorities is very important for the sector, and the multiplication of local initiatives to promote the use of gourds should have a significant impact on the market. In particular, the city of Paris has teamed up with Surfrider, an association working to protect and improve the quality of water, canals and the Seine through awareness-raising and waste collection, to distribute **,*** gourds in the Paris region in summer ****. The first distribution took place during the We Love Green festival[***].

The movement to distribute gourds by private or public players has even reached French parliamentarians, since deputies and senators were given a gourd on Monday, January **, **** to raise their awareness of the issue of the end of single-use plastic. [***]

3.1 Value chain

Source: ****

3.2 The different types of players on the market

Major food retailers:

The major food retailers (***) sell numerous brands in their stores and on their websites.

Carrefour, through Greenweez, the leader in organic and eco-responsible e-commerce created in ****, offers nearly *,*** references in all materials, shapes, sizes and colors.

Major sports retailers:

The first players to benefit from the explosion in demand for water bottles are specialist sports retailers.fabien Marescaux, product manager at Décathlon, explains that "In ****, we already had double-digit growth, but we didn't think it would last"[***]. These retailers sell a wide range of brands, from specialist sports brands such as Nike or Puma, to smaller brands that only make water bottles, such as Sigg, a Swiss brand.

Luxury brands:

However, this object is now moving out of the world of sport to become a luxury product. Luxury companies have jumped on this trend with their own products. For ****, Prada has released two models in designer steel (***). Évian asked designer Virgil Abloh to come up with an exclusive design. Chanel has also entered this segment with a leather water bottle holder priced at €*,***, as has Louis Vuitton, which sells it for €*,***[***].

Startups:

Several French startups have sprung up to meet emerging demand. Such is the case of ...

3.3 Key market players

The Similarweb site gives us information on website traffic, which in turn gives us information on the popularity of gourd brands.

Website traffic for * gourd brands World, ****, in thousands Source: ****

On this panel of six water bottle manufacturers, Hydro Flask comes out on top, always with between * and * times more visits than its nearest competitor: Chilly's. Simple Modern also stands out, with between ***,*** and ***,*** visits per month. Finally, the last three brands present fairly similar results, with between **,*** and ***,*** visits per month.

The performance of French company Qwetch is particularly noteworthy , as it is the French company with the most visits per month. Zeste has between **,*** and **,*** visits per month, while Gobilab has between **,*** and **,***.

The French account for **.**% of visitors to the Qwetch site, *.**% to Chilly's, and *.**% to Hydro Flask. In August, the Qwetch site recorded ***,*** French visits, Chilly's **,*** and Hydro Flask **,***.

3.4 The complexity of gourd production in France

Gobilab is the only company to offer water bottles made in France. The product underwent a thorough eco-design analysis before being launched on the market, to limit environmental impact at every stage: manufacture, use and end-of-life. The results of the analysis revealed, rather surprisingly, that injected plastic was the most environmentally-friendly ingredient.

Zeste promises entirely made-in-France manufacturing and carbon-neutral delivery. However, the raw materials used come from Spain and the Benelux countries.

La Petite Gourde, a French brand of stainless steel gourds, explains why it's so complicated to produce stainless steel gourds in France. Europe produces **.*% of the world's stainless steel. However, to manufacture a gourd, you need **/* - **/** stainless steel made from **% chromium, *-**% nickel and **-**% iron. France produces none of these three raw materials. However, it is still possible to import nickel and iron, as France does. But **% of chromium is produced in South Africa, and China buys **% of South African chromium. China therefore has a virtual monopoly on chromium and refuses to export it (***), making it materially impossible to produce French-made stainless steel gourds[***].

So Qwetch works with Chinese factories to produce its bottles.

4.1 Overview of the different types of water bottles

The gourd is an easily customizable object that offers consumers the opportunity to differentiate themselves and let their creativity express itself.

Materials:

Glass gourd: Advantages: odorless and tasteless, dishwasher-safe, attractive appearance, recyclable Disadvantages: extremely fragile, heavy, energy-intensive to produce and transport Stainless steel bottle (***): Advantages: robust, dishwasher-safe, durable, free from harmful substances Disadvantages: non-transparent, rather heavy, printing may suffer after several washes Aluminum water bottle : Advantages: lightweight, robust, attractive printing possible Disadvantages: sensitive to dents and flaking of printing ink in case of dents, difficult to clean, manual washing only, non-transparent Plastic flask: Advantages: sturdy, lightweight, very good plasticity for unique designs, excellent value for money Disadvantages: smells more or less depending on the material, challenge for our environment, as plastic is made from petroleum and only disintegrates over very long periods of time TritanTM bottle: Advantages: robust, lightweight, free from harmful substances, tasteless and odorless, dishwasher-safe, thermostable up to **°C, transparent, long-lasting Disadvantages: high price, plastic which, like all plastics, does not degrade naturally and must therefore be recycled[***]

Patterns:

Water bottles come in a wide variety of patterns, whether sober, floral, flashy, designer or personalized. What's more, many brands offer the option of personalizing your water bottle. For example, ...

4.2 Some popular models

The table below shows the prices of some of the most popular gourds, according to articles in Le Monde and Le Parisien.

While the price of some brands' water bottles may seem very high at first glance, it's worth remembering that a water bottle is made to last for many years. What's more, the price of raw materials has a huge influence on the final price of the bottle, so plastic bottles cost the least, while stainless steel bottles are often the most expensive. What's more, some manufacturers include special functions, such as Apple's "hydration target", which is calculated and adjusted throughout the day. Integrating these technologies greatly increases the price.

It's also worth noting that some of the above-mentioned water bottles are sold directly on Amazon, and are also available in a few physical stores, but these brands don't have their own online store. It's also interesting to note the high proportion of stainless steel bottles among the popular gourds.

4.3 A fast-growing market driven by numerous innovations

There are many different types of water bottles, each with its own materials, appearance, function, capacity and properties. Manufacturers work hard to innovate in order to stand out from their competitors and meet consumer expectations.

Zanmimi, for example, focuses on the quality of its heat-retaining properties. Unlike most water bottles, this one can keep hot longer than cold (***). This feat is made possible by exceptional double-wall vacuum insulation technology. What's more, the bottle is neither hot nor cold to the touch, whatever the temperature of the liquid.

Gourde Eau Good, for its part, has tackled the problem of the sometimes metallic taste of tap water, which can discourage consumers from buying a gourd. It uses binchotan, a Japanese activated carbon used to filter and improve the taste of tap water. What's more, the bottle is made from Tritan plastic, which is BPA-free, odorless like glass and releases no toxic substances into the water.

One of the major issues facing the water bottle market is the product's end-of-life. Vegan bottle Go has addressed this issue and offers a biodegradable plastic bottle. It is made without petroleum, but with sugar cane, and both the bottle and the cap are compostable, biodegrading naturally under ...

5. A strictly regulated market

The main regulatory points applying to water bottles, and more generally to materials and articles in contact with foodstuffs, are set out below.

The suitability of materials for contact with foodstuffs is governed by EC Regulation ****/****.this regulation establishes the principle of inertia (***) with foodstuffs must be manufactured in accordance with good manufacturing practice so that, under normal or foreseeable conditions of use, they do not transfer to foodstuffs constituents in a quantity liable to : present a danger to human health, bring about an unacceptable change in the composition of the foodstuffs or alter their organoleptic characteristics. Specific regulations or directives describe inertia criteria for certain materials: this is the case for plastics with EU Regulation **/****, which concerns all plastic materials and articles intended to come into contact with foodstuffs. For polyamide and melamine plastic objects and kitchen utensils, imports from China and Hong Kong require a written declaration of conformity and the results of primary aromatic amine and formaldehyde migration analyses. For childcare articles and utensils, i.e. those intended for children under * years of age, products such as water bottles will have to comply with European standards EN ***** and EN *****. To help manufacturers demonstrate the conformity of their products, ...

6. Player segmentation

• Hydro Flask
• S'well
• Klean Kanteen
• Gobilab
• Wakapop
• Qwetch
• Decathlon Groupe
• Go Sport France
• Zeste
• Thermos