The NPD Group reported portable beverageware saw a 20% increase from May 2021 to May 2022, generating a $3.3 billion category spend on 315 million units at retail in the reported period. Consumer focus on hydration, sustainability and return to schools, worksites and outside activities have contributed to the boost in sales, according to NPD.
Consumer interest in hydration has contributed largely to the growth of portable beverageware. According to NPD’s tracking of home industry retail sales and buyer analytics, water bottles represent 46% of the portable beverageware units purchased; highball/tumblers, which are travel double- or single-wall tumblers with or without a straw, representing 35% of the units; and travel mugs holding a 13% share. Other shapes, including blender shaker cups and mason jars, make up the remaining share.
Reusability and sustainability have also driven interest. According to NPD’s National Eating Trends, single-use bottled water in-home has dropped 10% during the past year. Beyond reusability, stainless steel, which accounts for 48% of units purchased, is 100% recyclable and can be recycled many times. Acrylic beverageware also represents 48% of units and is typically manufactured to be recyclable.
A third factor in the growth of portable beverageware is the return to schools, worksites and activities like children’s sports as returning to out-of-home routines have increased the need for portable beverageware. NPD reported, in the year ending May, 58% of the population living in households with kids made purchases with category reach in this demographic increasing by 5%, some of which was driven by increased student use of reusable water bottles in schools. Larger households were primary purchasers: 57% of the population living in households of five or more purchased portable beverageware products in the reported period, along with 54% of four-person households.
“Portable beverageware has been a top-selling category for a while now,” says Joe Derochowski, NPD home industry advisor. “Certainly hydrating and environmental consciousness are purchase drivers, but other drivers, like the return to schools, worksites, and out-of-the-home activities, fuel the growth. Understanding portable beverageware’s buyer and purchase dynamics will better equip manufacturers and retailers to take advantage of this popular category.”