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Segmentation of Bottled Water Consumers in Poland

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 Innovation Management and information Technology impact on Global Economy in the Era of Pandemic

Segmentation of Bottled Water Consumers in Poland

Joanna M. DZIADKOWIEC (corresponding author)

Cracow University of Economics, Cracow, Poland

e-mail: dziadkoj@uek.krakow.pl

Urszula BALON

Cracow University of Economics, Cracow, Poland

e-mail: balonu@uek.krakow.pl

Abstract

The bottle water market was estimated at 437 billion liters in 2017 and is expected to reach 623 billion liters in 2021, growing
at a CAGR of 92,7% during 2017-2021. The dynamic development of this market is also observed in Poland, the consumption
of bottled water in Poland is constantly growing, in 2019 it was 114 liters per capita, approaching the European average.
However, despite the significant increase, Poles still consume much less bottled water than, for example, Italians or Germans.
Therefore, it can be concluded that, on the one hand, the purchasing habits on the Polish bottled water market have developed,
and on the other hand, there is still a development potential of this market. This article reviews the factors that motivate the
purchase and consumption of bottled water. The goal of this research is to identify emerging patterns of purchasing and
consumption of bottled water in Poland. The study was conducted with a group of 742 respondents representing from 2
districts in southern Poland, CAWI and CAPI method were used to collect data. Next cluster analyzes were performed to
determine whether different patterns of buying and consuming bottled water coexist. Two methods were used for the
clustering procedure - Ward's method (squared Euclidean distance) and k-means solution. A three-cluster (three distinct
groups of respondents ) solution provided the best results. Ss a result, three different groups of respondents (segments) were
identified: 1) taste sensitive, 2) healthy lifestyles, 3) careless consumers.

Keywords: Segmentation, Bottled Water, Consumer Behavior

Introduction
The global bottled water market in 2017 was valued at around $238 billion and is expected to reach $349 billion in 2021,
growing at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 9.99% during 2017-2021. In terms of volume, the market was
estimated at 437 billion liters in 2017 and is expected to reach 623 billion liters in 2021, growing at a CAGR of 92,7% during
2017-2021 (The Business Research Company, 2018).

The production value of the bottled water industry in the European Union in 2016 was EUR 12.4 million, and the
consumption was EUR 52 billion (Bizon, 2017). Europe has the highest consumption rate of bottled water in the world, at
109.9 liters per capita in 2016 (Bizon 2017) and 118.0 liters per capita in 2019 (Statista, 2020). The top five biggest
consumers of bottled water are Italy, Germany, Portugal, Hungary, and Spain. with an average annual consumption per capita
over 135 liters.

In Poland, since the beginning of the 1990s, the bottled mineral water market has been developing dynamically, which was
due to the change in eating habits. In the last 10 years, the consumption of bottled water in Poland has increased by 35.3
liters per person, i.e., by an average of 3.5 liters per year. This is the highest increase in the consumption of bottled water in
Europe (Bizon, 2017). In 2015, Poland ranked 9th in Europe in terms of expenditure on bottled water, spending about 30
euros per person on water annually. However, when analyzing water consumption per 1 person, it ranked 8th, just behind
the Czech Republic and Slovakia, but ahead of Romania, Great Britain, and Ukraine (KPMG, 2016). The consumption of
bottled water in Poland is constantly growing, in 2019 it was 114 liters per capita, approaching the European average. But
despite a significant increase in the consumption of bottled water, it is still lower by more than 40%, almost by half lower
than, for example, in Italy(Statista , 2020). Therefore, it can be concluded that, on the one hand, the purchasing habits on the
Polish bottled water market have developed, and on the other hand, there is still a development potential of this market.
This article reviews the factors that motivate the purchase and consumption of bottled water. The goal of this research is to
identify emerging patterns of purchasing and consumption of bottled water in Poland.
________________
Cite this Article as: Joanna M. DZIADKOWIEC and Urszula BALON “ Segmentation of Bottled Water Consumers in Poland”
Proceedings of the 37th International Business Information Management Association (IBIMA), 30-31 May 2021, Cordoba, Spain,
ISBN: 978-0-9998551-6-4, ISSN: 2767-9640

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Literature Background
The phenomenon of the bottled water market is that while most people, especially in developed countries, have access to tap
water for free, they also buy bottled water (Queiroz et al., 2012, der Linden, 2015). This is mainly due to the perception of
tap water quality (health and taste). Research suggests that tap water consumption is significantly correlated with consumer
confidence in water suppliers (Doria et al., 2009, Parag & Roberts, 2009). Important perceived barriers are poor tasting tap
water and the desire for filtered water (Graydon et al., 2019). Many consumers consider tap water unhealthy, unsafe and
prefer the taste of bottled water (Geerts et al., 2020).

Health safety is key, but even if health risks associated with drinking water are equal or are perceived by households to be
equal, taste and smell may affect the choice between the two options (Johnstone & Serret, 2012, Gambino et al., 2020).
Examples are European consumers, who consume large quantities of bottled water, even though they are generally satisfied
with the quality of tap water, trust in the institutions responsible for water supply and do not perceive health risks associated
with tap water (Etale et al., 2018). A similar situation is in the United States, where the main sources of water are taps at
home or tap away from home, but also bottled water from stores (Vieux et al., 2020). Furthermore, in Canada, the
consumption of bottled water is systematically growing, despite the fact that since 2006 the sale of bottled water has been
discouraged or even banned by public agencies and universities in some Canadian cities with the intention of compelling
consumers to have or regain confidence in the quality of tap water (Queiroz et al., 2012).

The reason for the increase in the consumption of bottled water is ambiguous, and consumer research often points to various
factors. Most researches confirm that consumers drink bottled water because they care for their health and safety, but also
point to other determinants of consumer behavior. Graydon et al. (2019) surveying American students concluded that they
also take into account cost and environmental factors, tap water is perceived by them as less expensive and better for the
environment. Gheorghe et al. (2019) examined the pro-environmental intentions of Bulgarian students in the field of bottled
water consumption, additionally taking into account such factors as personal benefit, locus of control, personal responsibility
and knowledge of action strategies. Geerts et al (2020) developing an integrated model of water consumption in Belgium,
identified 4 factors influencing the purchase of bottled water: health and safety, price, taste, and environmental aspects.

A comprehensive model of factors influencing the preferences of Swiss and German water consumers was proposed by
(Etale et al., 2018), who identified 7 factors, including, in addition to the aforementioned: convenience, norms and aspects
related to the image - personal image and still/ sparkling water image. The fact that consumers drink bottled water instead of
tap water, due to the preference of sparkling water, was also noticed by (Doria, 2006).

Most studies also confirm that basic socio-demographic factors such as gender, age, income, education, or place of residence
determine the consumption of bottled water. (Graydon et al., 2019, Vieux et al., 2020, Geerts et al., 2020). However, in
some studies no significant effect of these factors was found (Levêque & Burns, 2017, Dupont et al., 2010).

Cross-cultural studies also show that consumption and shopping habits are also influenced by factors such as nationality,
race / ethnicity, or geographic region. (Graydon et al., 2019, Vieux et al., 2020, Etale et al., 2018, Doria et al., 2009, Larson
et al., 2016).

Summarizing, researchers identified a wide range of bottled water purchase and consumption determinants, influenced by
both objective characteristics and psychological factors, which are different by country and nationality. As mentioned, the
goal of this paper is to identify emerging patterns of purchasing and consumption of bottled water in Poland. The research is
based on two research questions: (a) What factors influence the behavior of Polish bottled water consumers? (b) Based on
these factors, can systematic belief patterns and motives for purchasing bottled water in Poland be identified?

Research Methodology
The research questionnaire consisted of 25 questions about the motives for buying and consuming bottled water. The
questions in the questionnaire were arranged randomly to avoid the respondents being suggested connections between the
studied issues. Responses to the survey items were recorded on a 5-point Likert scale with 1 corresponding to “strongly
disagree” and 5 to “strongly agree”.

The study was conducted in 2020 with a group of 742 respondents representing from 2 districts in southern Poland:
Malopolskie and Podkarpackie voivodeships. The research sample was determined by quota method, quotas due to age and
gender, and the nature of the place of residence (big, medium and small cities, village). Data collection stage consisted of
two steps to involve respondents from all demographic groups. First, CAWI (computer-assisted web interview) method was
used with a standardized questionnaire. Next, CAPI (computer-assisted web interview) was used to interview respondents
who did not complete the online survey.

The final sample consisted of 466 respondents (62,8%) from Malopolskie Voivodeship and 276 (37,2%) respondents from

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Podkarpackie Voivodeship. The Cronbach Alpha exceeded 0,85, which indicates the high level of consistency of the set of
questions used in surveys.

Most of the respondents were females (67,9%), the average age of the respondents was 47,2 (SD 18,9) years. As for the
nature of place residents, villages were represented by 37% respondents and cities - by 62,5% (of which: big cities – 21,3%,
medium – 18,9% and small 23,2% small). Exactly half of the surveyed group (371 respondents) had higher education, 31,9%
- secondary education, and 134 respondents (18,1%) had primary or vocational education. The vast majority (71,7%) were
professionally active people, 20,2% were retirees and pensioners, the rest are unemployed or living on social benefits, 8,1%.
The study was attended by respondents from households of various sizes (1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, and more than 4 people), with the
share of, respectively: 12,1%, 28,0%, 23,5%, 21,6%, 14,8%. Most of the households are families with children (57.1%). The
full demographic profile of the studied group is presented in Table 1.

Table 1: Participants characteristics

Total
Demographic and household variables [in %]
n=742
Gender:
Female 67,9
Male 32,1
Age:
20-24 13,1
25-34 21,0
35-49 26,4
50-64 21,0
Over 64 18,5
Education:
primary/vocational 18,1
secondary 31,9
higher 50,0
Employment status:
full-time 42,3
part-time employee 14,3
self-employment 8,1
unemployed/unpaid leave 15,1
pensioner 20,2
Family income (in PLN):
under 1000 23,0
1001-1500 25,9
1501-2000 21,0
2001-2500 14,8
2501-3000 7,4
over 3000 8,0
Number of people in household:
1 12,1
2 28,0
3 23,5
4 21,6
over 4 14,8
Number of children in household:
without children 42,9
1 19,7
2 21,6
3 20,5
over 3 5,3
Nature of the place of residence:
small city (under 50000 residents) 23,2
medium city (50000-100000 residents) 10,2
big city (over 100000 residents) 29,1
village 37,5

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Voivodeship:
Malopolskie 62,8
Podkarpackie 37,2
Monthly expenses on bottled water (in PLN)
under 20 13,2
21-50 43,9
51-100 27,8
101-150 10,5
over 150 4,6

Results of the Analysis

Cluster analyzes were performed to determine whether different patterns of buying and consuming bottled water coexist.
Two methods were used for the clustering procedure. First, a hierarchical method (Ward's method; squared Euclidean
distance) was used to determine the number of clusters. The k-means solution was then used to find respondents who share
important characteristics and classify them together into clusters. A three-cluster (three distinct groups of respondents )
solution provided the best results. The means and standard deviations for the 25 variables used in the study for each cluster
are presented in Table 2.

Table 2: Means and standard deviations for bottled water consumption behavior

Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3

No Variable n=250 n=230 n=262 F
Mean STD Mean STD Mean STD
Bottled water has better
1 health properties than tap 4,0 0,7 3,8 1,0 3,2 1,1 57,3
water
Tap water is safe to drink
2 only after boiling
3,6 1,1 3,2 1,2 2,6 1,1 46,3
People drink a lot of water
3 because it is trendy and 3,3 1,0 2,8 1,1 2,7 1,1 23,4
often promoted
I drink bottled water to
4 complement the deficiencies 4,0 0,8 3,9 0,8 3,3 1,0 49,9
of vitamins and minerals
Of all drinks, water is the
5 best thirst quencher
4,2 0,7 4,3 1,0 3,5 1,0 65,2
I drink bottled water
6 because I like the taste
4,1 0,7 3,8 0,9 3,0 1,1 94,8
I prefer sparkling water to
7 still water
3,9 0,9 1,4 0,6 2,7 1,3 365,1
In my house, water is the
8 main drink with all meals
3,8 1,0 3,4 1,1 2,5 1,0 75,4
Tap water may contain
9 various impurities
3,9 0,9 3,9 1,0 3,0 1,1 63,7
Water is healthier than other
10 drinks such as juices, soft 4,2 0,8 4,5 0,6 3,3 1,1 135,4
drinks, etc.
Drinking plenty of water is
11 necessary to provide 4,4 0,6 4,7 0,5 3,8 0,9 112,9
adequate hydration
I take care of my health, so I
12 try to drink as much water 3,9 0,7 4,5 0,7 3,2 0,9 203,1
as possible
Water is water, I don't
13 2,7 1,1 2,2 1,1 3,8 1,1 24,2
wonder why I drink it

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I buy water because it's the

14 cheapest way to quench my 3,2 1,0 2,5 1,1 2,7 1,0 29,7
thirst
Bottled water has the same
15 properties as tap water, it is 2,2 1,0 1,9 0,9 2,4 1,0 20,6
not worth overpaying
I use bottled water for all
16 purposes, including cooking
2,5 1,1 1,8 0,9 1,8 0,9 41,8
Drinking plenty of water is
17 helpful for weight loss
3,7 0,9 3,8 1,0 2,9 1,0 71,7
I like sparkling water, so I
18 prefer bottled water to tap 4,0 0,8 1,8 0,8 2,8 1,1 340,3
water
Bottled water is a
convenient way to quench
19 my thirst (I can always have
4,3 0,5 4,3 0,7 3,5 1,0 101,2
it with me)
I prefer to drink juices and /
20 or other drinks than water
2,5 1,0 2,1 0,8 2,8 1,1 34,2
I drink a lot of water due to
21 the requirements of my diet
3,2 0,9 3,1 1,1 2,4 1,1 49,2
Bottled water is always safe
22 for health
3,9 0,7 3,6 0,9 3,0 1,0 70,7
Drinking water is one of my
23 daily habits
4,1 0,7 4,1 0,7 2,9 1,0 169,5
I believe that the only drink
24 children should drink is 3,4 1,0 3,3 1,0 2,4 1,1 67,5
water
I drink water because I want
25 to be closer to nature
3,1 1,0 3,0 1,1 2,1 0,9 83,8

The results of k-means procedure demonstrated that the mean behaviors significantly differ between the clusters (p <0:
0001), thus, the solution was found to be satisfactory. Based on the general habits in the consumption of bottled waters, we
identified three clusters that can be described as: “Taste sensitive”, “Healthy lifestyle” and "Careless”. Typical patterns of
these behaviors for each of the three clusters (groups of consumers) are described in Table 3.

Table 3: Description of bottled water consumption patterns

Cluster 1 Cluster 2 Cluster 3

“Taste sensitive” "Healthy lifestyle" “Careless”
n=250 n=230 n=262
• Drinking plenty of water is necessary to provide adequate hydration
entire population
shared by the

• Bottled water is a convenient way to quench my thirst (I can always have it with me
Preferences

• Of all drinks, water is the best thirst quencher

• Water is healthier than other drinks such as juices, soft drinks, etc.
• Tap water may contain various impurities
• Tap water is safe to drink only after boiling (negative)
• I use bottled water for all purposes, including cooking (negative)

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• I drink bottled water because

I like the taste • I drink bottled water to

Preferences typical forclusters

• I like sparkling water, so I
prefer bottled water to tap
water
• I prefer sparkling water to
still water
• Bottled water has better
health properties than tap
water
• I drink bottled water to
complement the deficiencies
of vitamins and minerals
• Bottled water is always safe
for health
complement the deficiencies
of vitamins and minerals
• I drink bottled water because
I like the taste
• I drink a lot of water due to
• Water is water, I don't
the requirements of my diet
wonder why I drink it
• Drinking plenty of water is
helpful for weight loss
• Bottled water is always safe
for health
• I drink water because I want
to be closer to nature

Preferences shared by the entire population

First of all, it has been confirmed that Polish consumers buy bottled water, although they generally rate the quality of tap
water as good. While most believe that tap water can contain various impurities (the exception is cluster 1, without a strong
opinion on this topic), they do not need to replace tap water with bottled water when cooking. Most also believe tap water is
safe to drink without boiling. However, they rate bottled water much higher in terms of health properties. The results confirm
that in Poland, as in other countries where the quality of tap water is satisfactory, consumers also buy bottled water (Etale et
al., 2018, Vieux et al., 2020, Queiroz et al., 2012).

Surveyed respondents confirm that the main motive for consuming water is their concern for health. They believe that
drinking plenty of water is necessary to provide adequate hydration and that water is the healthiest and most efficient way to
quench the thirst. The results are not surprising, because in European countries there is a long tradition of drinking mineral
waters for medical purposes (Ferrier, 2001, March et al., 2020). However, although all 3 clusters share these beliefs, it has
been observed that the strength of these beliefs varies (e.g., cluster 3 strongly agreed with most of these statements, while
cluster 1 mostly marked "agree" and "neither agree or disagree"). Additionally, it was observed that each cluster perceives
the factors determining health aspects differently (e.g., for cluster 2, health safety is important, while for cluster 3 - the
possibility of supplementing the deficiencies of vitamins and minerals by drinking water). The results are therefore similar
as in other studies of bottled water preferences, showing that health issues are one of the major factors influencing the
consumption of bottled water (Geerts et al., 2020, Graydon et al., 2019, Etale et al., 2018).

“Taste sensitive consumers” cluster

The first cluster constitutes a little more than a third of consumers (250 respondents). Consumers in this cluster can be defined
as "frequent consumers", drinking water is one of their daily habits. Moreover, in their households, water is the main drink
for all meals much more often than in the case of other respondents. The main reasons for consuming bottled water, apart
from those listed above, are taste and a higher than average degree of distrust of tap water. "Taste sensitive consumers"
usually prefer sparkling water, they also believe that bottled water is always safe for health and that it is a good way to
complement the deficiencies of vitamins and minerals.

The majority of consumers in this cluster are women (64.8%), this is because more women than men took part in the study.
This group is dominated by middle-aged people, over 1/3 are people aged 35-49. The other age groups are 50-64 and 25-34
(about 20% each). Nearly half of the respondents (45.2%) are people with higher education, and 39.6% have secondary
education. Almost half of the respondents (48.8%) work full time. They have a relatively low income, most households
(27.2%) have an income of PLN 1,000-1,500 per month per person, while only 8% of respondents declare their monthly
income above PLN 3,000. In this group, only 11.2% of respondents live alone (1-person farm), while among larger
households, families with at least 1 child (54.4%) predominate. They spend a month on the purchase of bottled water, most
often PLN 21-50 (42.4%) or PLN 51-100 (24.8%). "Taste sensitive consumers" are inhabitants of rural areas and small and
large cities (approx. 30% each).

“Healthy lifestyle” cluster

The second cluster is the smallest one characterizing 230 customers. They have the strongest views among all consumers,
answering questions much more often than others, they selected the option "strongly agree /disagree". Consumers grouped
in this cluster are partially similar to "Taste sensitive consumers" - they are "frequent consumers" and buy bottled water

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because of the taste. However, their taste preferences are different - they definitely prefer still water and they are less critical
of tap water. They strongly agree with the statement that peoples should drink as much water as possible to stay healthy, but
in their households water is not always the main drink for all meals. They drink a lot of water due to the requirements of
their diet, believing that drinking plenty of water is helpful for weight loss, and helps supplement the deficiencies of vitamins
and minerals. They are also distinguished by the fact that they drink water because they want to be closer to nature, so it can
be said that the consumption of bottled water is a certain way of life for them. This is in line with previous studies which
showed that consumers identify with a specific lifestyle when consuming bottled water (Doria, 2010, Wilk, 2006, Dolnicar
et al., 2014).

Cluster is definitely made up of women (76.5%), while all age groups are represented almost equally. The vast majority of
respondents have higher education (59.1%), this group also included the majority of people with primary / vocational
education who participated in the study. These are people working full-time (38.3%), but also retirees and pensioners (23%).

Almost 80% of the respondents in this group have an income per person of up to PLN 2,000 per month, the smallest group
(2.6%) are people whose income is PLN 2,500-3,000 per month. Most of the respondents (27.0%) live in 4-person and 2-
person households (27.0% and 25.2%, respectively); almost 60% of the respondents are families with children. They live
mainly in the countryside (40.0%) or large cities (30.4%) of the Malopolskie voivodship. Half of the respondents (45.2%)
spend PLN 21-50 a month on the purchase of bottled water, while 33.9% of the respondents in this group spend PLN 51-
100.

“Careless consumers” cluster

The last cluster is the biggest one characterizing 262 respondents. Contrary to other clusters, it gathers respondents who can
be characterized as "casual consumers". Contrary to other clusters, it gathers respondents who can be characterized as "casual
consumers". When analyzing the results, it can be noticed that the respondents from this cluster did not take a decisive
position on most of the analyzed issues, most of them indicating "neither agree nor disagree". They were the only ones who
stated that "water is water, I don't wonder why I drink it". In conclusion, it can be said that although they drink bottled water,
they do not need to think about the reasons for this consumption. Bottled water is just one of the beverages consumed in their
households. It is typical for certain groups of consumers, e.g., the research conducted by (Doria, 2006) or (Mackey et al.,
2003) provided the same conclusions.

Women constitute 63.3% of the respondents included in this group; as in the case of cluster 1, it reflects the gender structure
of the studied population. This segment is age-balanced, the share of individual age groups in this segment is similar and
ranges from 15.6% (adolescents aged 20-24) to 23.7% (people aged 50-64). Almost half of the people have higher education
(46.6%), are employed full-time (almost 40%), or retired (21.4% of the respondents). Their income is below PLN 1,000 and
PLN 1,000-1,500 (23.7% each) and PLN 1,500-2,000 (20%); Less than 40% of respondents in this segment declare that they
are a family without children. Most people from this group (40.5%) live in villages and large cities (28.2%), and the least in
medium-sized cities (8.4%). "Careless" consumers spend PLN 21-50 per month (44.3% of respondents in this group), PLN
51-100 (1/4 of respondents), or less than PLN 20 (22.1%) per month on bottled water.

Conclusions
The results show that at least for a sample of two Polish provinces, but we believe that also from the point of view of
consumers from other regions of the country, there are three different patterns of bottled water consumption preferences.

As a result of the study, the main factors influencing the preferences and behavior of Polish consumers of bottled water were
identified. The preferences of all respondents are mainly determined by two factors - an ambivalent opinion about the quality
of tap water and the belief that drinking plenty of water is necessary to provide adequate hydration. Concerns about drinking
tap water are deeply rooted in Poles' consciousness. However, as the research shows, they have no justification. Tap water
meets all standards due to the fact that it is constantly monitored by waterworks and appropriate sanitary services. Water
from Polish waterworks can be drunk without boiling it. Research has shown that only the utility parameters of water, such
as taste, smell, and hardness, are not satisfactory everywhere and differ in individual cities, and sometimes also in individual
city districts, sometimes raising concerns of users (Kłos, 2015). It can therefore be concluded that in Poland, as in other
countries, bottled water is consumed despite the satisfactory quality of generally available tap water.

The results show that one factor that influences preferences regarding bottled water is whether or not drinking water is viewed
as a daily habit by respondents. Analyzing the results of cluster analysis, it can be concluded that people who consume bottled
water more often ("Taste sensitive" and "Healthy lifestyle" clusters) have fairly strong beliefs about water consumption. On
the other hand, the respondents for whom bottled water was simply one of the beverages ("Careless" cluster ") did not have
an opinion on most of the subjects studied. Thus, there is a clear difference between consumers defined as" frequent

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consumers "and" casual consumers ". This difference may result from the fact that the more often a product is consumed, the
greater is the consumer's knowledge about it.

However, it is very likely that it results from the respondents' beliefs about bottled water. For "careless" consumers, "water
is just water" and they do not need to think about it. For frequent consumers, water consumption is an everyday habit, so
they look for information that will allow them to buy a product that best suits the lifestyle or needs of their family. In the
case of "Taste sensitive" consumers, the main determinant of choice is the taste of bottled water, while in the case of the
"Healthy lifestyle" cluster - health aspects.

The results of the study may be useful as a basis for further scientific research on the consumption of bottled water in Poland,
as well as contribution to the study of food-related lifestyles. Further research, based on the proposed consumers’
segmentation, may include more detailed criteria that will provide information about the behavior, preferences, or beliefs of
consumers from various clusters. The impact of socio-demographic factors on consumer beliefs and behaviors also can be
analyzed. The proposed segmentation may also guide bottled water producers and NGOs that run campaigns on both bottled
and tap water.

Acknowledgment

The publication was financed from the funds granted to the Cracow University of Economics for maintaining research
potential.

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