Essentia Water, Bothell, Wash., announced that it continued to generate accelerated growth at retail during the final quarter of 2018, marking a strong conclusion to the brand’s most successful year-to-date, it says. Total all channel sales increased 71 percent for period 13 for the week ending Dec. 30, 2018. Essentia’s sales momentum was particularly evident in the convenience channel, which was up 137 percent, it adds.

“Our goal heading into the year was to remain focused and committed to our brand mission, and thanks to our talented and dedicated team of overachievers, we succeeded in making 2018 another notable year for Essentia,” said Ken Uptain, chief executive officer and founder of Essentia Water, in a statement. “With the rise in popularity and demand in the premium bottled water category, it’s easy to get excited about what’s on the horizon for 2019 as we continue to grow our brand visibility amongst a national audience.”

In 2018, Essentia generated nearly $196 million in measured retail sales, growing at 59 percent over 2017, it reports. The brand captured an 8.3 percent share of the premium water market and continuously outpaced growth in the premium bottled water category — a category that generated more than $2.4 billion for the year, it says, citing data from Chicago-based Information Resources Inc. BI