Tourcoing, France – Vanessa Vercruysse, a 44-year-old administrative worker from Tourcoing, routinely orders six packs of bottled water online each week from Picnic, a grocery delivery service, spending approximately 15 euros. “I don’t drink tap water because I don’t like the taste,” she told Agence France-Presse. Her preference reflects a broader trend in France, where despite growing environmental concerns and the lower cost of tap water, bottled water remains a staple purchase for many households.
In 2025, French consumers purchased 6.5 billion bottles and packs of still and sparkling water, according to a study by Worldpanel, released ahead of World Water Day on Sunday. Cristaline’s 6×1.5L pack was the best-selling item in French supermarkets last year, with 286 million units sold, according to NielsenIQ data released in January by retail specialist Olivier Dauvers. Cristaline too held the second position for individual 1.5L bottles, selling 256 million, significantly outpacing Coca-Cola’s 81 million.
The continued popularity of bottled water comes as consumption of sugary drinks and alcohol declines in France, noted Gaëlle Le Floch, a Worldpanel expert. Contributing to the trend are the low prices – 20 centimes per liter for spring water and 46 centimes for mineral water, according to UFC Que Choisir – a diverse range of French brands and substantial advertising investments.
The demand is so high that some online distributors are implementing purchase limits. Grégoire Borgoltz, Director of Operations at Picnic France, noted an instance where a customer attempted to order an entire truckload of water packs. “In the Netherlands, where tap water is widely consumed, a delivery route serves 15 customers. In France, it’s only 10 to 11 because of the volume of bottled water,” Borgoltz said, adding that the product is bulky and offers low profit margins.
The logistical challenges extend to brick-and-mortar stores. A Franprix franchise owner in Paris described difficulties with deliveries and storage in smaller city center locations, despite bottled water remaining “an indispensable reference in our aisles.”
While nearly 70% of French residents consume tap water daily, according to a Kantar survey for the Centre d’Information sur l’Eau (CIEau), confidence in its quality is waning. Trust levels have fallen from 85% in 2023 to 78% currently, driven by concerns over “forever chemicals” like PFAS and pesticide residues, leading to consumption bans in some areas. CIEau recently launched an app to provide consumers with information on the quality of their local water supply.
Bottled water brands have faced their own controversies, including issues with prohibited treatments by Nestlé Waters (Perrier, Vittel) and concerns about microplastics. Despite these issues, sales remain strong. Environmental groups like No Plastic in my Sea continue to highlight the prevalence of plastic bottles as the most common waste found on European beaches.
Christophe Lekieffre, delegate general of the Syndicat des Eaux de sources et des eaux minérales naturelles, maintains that PET bottles are 100% recyclable, provided consumers properly sort their waste. He claims that over half of all bottles are now “recovered for recycling.” Retailers like Leclerc and Carrefour are piloting recycling programs, such as Green Big’s B.Bop machines, which offer shopping vouchers in exchange for empty bottles. Biocoop, a specialist organic retailer, discontinued sales of bottled water in 2017 due to environmental concerns.
