An assessment of consumer preferences on the drinking water market: today to the future

In the 21st century, water has become a priority issue as a vital commodity which has no substitute and has growing economic and strategic value. It is predicted that a significant part of the world population will be faced with drinking water problems in the coming years. This study was focused on the determination of consumer preference trends for drinking water. In the scope of the study, the primary data used were obtained from 965 households in Turkey. According to the study, 28.6% of households surveyed used only bottled water for drinking. Consumers’ quality perception of tap water played a decisive role in the trend of bottled water consumption. Also, health anxiety and ease of consumption were important. On the other hand, it was seen that general consumption habits and lack of income were among the reasons for not consuming bottled water.