Overview
- Record heat in late June and July drove unusually large jumps in bottled-water and soft-drink purchases, with official data showing weekly sales rising by double digits compared with recent summers.
- The Verband Deutscher Mineralbrunnen has reported an ongoing logistics bottleneck since the end of June because consumers are buying more but returning empty bottles and crates more slowly.
- Wholesalers say they pre-stocked for the summer and many producers added shifts, so trade associations do not expect nationwide shortages, although some brands may be briefly unavailable in places.
- Regional makers such as Riegele described all-time sales highs and temporary production ramp-ups and called for higher deposit (Pfand) rates to speed returns and protect the refillable system.
- Industry bodies urge consumers to return empties promptly because the Leergut return cycle is the main operational constraint and repeated heat spikes would raise the risk of more frequent local gaps.