“We are not expecting a drop in consumption, but major producers will loose market share because many producers and inexpensive products have appeared recently. We have also noticed a consumer trend towards elss expensive products,” according to a declaration for Business Standard by the General Manager of Apemin Tusnad, Zsolt Becsi.

Recently, SNAM’s General Manager, Vasile Mihalcea, declared for Business Standard that the 6 percent drop in the first quarter was followed by an increase in sales in April, when the delivery of sparkling and plain water by members of SNAM amounted to 95.6 million liters, compared to 78.6 million liters in March, rising in May to 109.9 million liters. Mihalcea is expecting the rhythm of growth on the market to exceed expectations, rising by 10 percent.

The per capita consumption of mineral water last year was 48.5 liters, about half that in countries in Western Europe, where per capita consumption exceeds an annual 100 liters, according to SNAM data.