The prolonged drought in the Western Cape and the imminent threat of \u201cday zero\u201d has given rise to fears of price hikes for bottled water.<\/p>\n
However, research by consumer price watchdog, Retail Price Watch, has found that major retail chains in the region are largely sticking to 2017 prices for 5l bottled water.<\/p>\n
The net effect is that there has been a rush on bottled water and many stores have found themselves temporarily out of stock, says Viccy Baker of Retail Price Watch.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnder normal circumstances demand pressure would have increased the price of the larger sizes, but instead stores have been offering specials which have cleared their shelves, even if only for a short time,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cRetailers are to be commended for not capitalising on the shortage, although it is very likely that consumers who are already very angry about the way the water crisis in the Western Cape has been handled, would not tolerate large price hikes,\u201d Baker said.<\/p>\n
\u201cOn 25 January Woolworths in the Southern suburbs of Cape Town which sells its house brand for R22\/5 litres, was offering two bottles for R31 and the shelves in most stores were cleared before lunchtime.<\/p>\n
\u201cPick n Pay and Checkers Blue Route were out of stock but promising deliveries on 26 January while Checkers Muizenberg is selling its house brand Eastern Highlands for R15 a bottle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Water Watch<\/strong><\/p>\n Judy Woodgate of Tstsikamma Crystal Water in the Eastern Cape said that demand has been \u201cunprecedented\u201d with her sales managers witnessing people fighting over the last bottle of water on shelves in supermarkets in Cape Town.<\/p>\n \u201cWe have been besieged not just by retailers but by members of the public who want to buy at source because they cannot buy from the stores,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are bottling as fast as we can and have an order book which will fill 31 trucks all headed for Cape Town in the next week.\u201d<\/p>\n Woodgate offers a caution to homeowners wanting to buy large quantities of water \u2013 many opting for truckloads of more than 5,000 litres – that storage in the sunshine can offer water deterioration over time.<\/p>\n Baker said that empty 25\u00a0litre plastic bottles have been sold out at stores such as Mambo\u2019s and Plastic World.<\/p>\n Monique Hector, a spokesman for Mambo\u2019s confirmed that the Cape stores had experienced increased demand and had sold out. \u201cWe are expecting deliveries but cannot say when.\u201d<\/p>\n Baker said that over the past year prices of 5\u00a0litre bottled water around the country have generally stabilised.<\/p>\n\n\n
\n 5l still water<\/th>\n Average January 2017 price<\/th>\n Average January 2018 price<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n \n Aquartz<\/td>\n R23.22<\/td>\n R21.70<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Aquelle<\/td>\n R18.25<\/td>\n R19.41<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Nestle Pure Life<\/td>\n R22.49<\/td>\n R20.36<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Pick n Pay<\/td>\n R17.99<\/td>\n R17.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Thirsti<\/td>\n R19.81<\/td>\n R18.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Tsitsikamma<\/td>\n R18.37<\/td>\n R18.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Woolworths<\/td>\n R22.47<\/td>\n R22.99<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Average price<\/strong><\/td>\n R20.37<\/strong><\/td>\n R20.06<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table><\/div>\n<\/div>\n