Nestle Opens Water Store Targeting Hispanics in Bronx

Nestlé Pure Life brand spokesperson Cristina Saralegui

Dios mio; on Saturday Nestle is opening its first U.S. "Nestlé Pure Life Mercado del Agua" (Water Store) to "bring the benefits of Nestlé Pure Life Purified Water to the Hispanic community." And they've got Hispanic TV personality and Pure Life spokesperson Cristina Saralegui to appear at the grand opening to help target the demographic. In the press release announcing the store, Saralegui (the Hispanic Oprah) says, "It is my privilege to join Nestlé Waters in celebrating the grand opening... I want to help increase awareness for our community about how drinking water is critical to living a healthy lifestyle."

At last, those poor, dehydrated people in one of the most indigent counties in the United States will be able to buy Nestle water! Sure, NYC has some of the best tap water in the world, but boring old tap water doesn't have celebrity brand ambassadors like Nestle, which owns Poland Spring and other bottled water varieties. And you know who else liked tap water? Hitler. Also, we've never seen tap water promoted in incredible commercials in Arabic like this one below.

We're still trying to determine exactly where the Mercado del Agua will be in the Bronx, and it's also unclear how much the water will cost. (A case of 16.9oz Nestle Pure Life Water usually retails for $15.99.) The grand opening is part of a larger marketing campaign targeting Hispanics, who've been treated to their own series of TV commercials promoting Pure Life as a healthier alternative to sugary drinks. [Via Literanista]

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By John Del Signore in Food on November 12, 2009 2:50 PM

Comments [rss]

Moin

Yeh sure bottled water is good and looks hip but it isnt as healthier as you think, it can cause many problems which has proven. I think filtered water is safer and cheaper. I got mine from www.isopurewater.com

i m totally satisfied with it...

lets live healthy!

JenChungsBaby

Blatant case of Nestle taking advantage of people. People come here from other countries and don't trust the water or are accustomed to drinking bottled water. And here's Nestle ready to sell them overpriced stuff they don't need.

And who the heck said that a case of Nestle water retails for $16????? Try more like $3.99 at Target on a good day.

carbomb

can you make me some shaved ice with dat?

NYUgirl

Yes, there are indeed some good areas of the Bronx. But travel into some of the poorer areas, and it is REALLY poor. The majority of "families" are on food stamps and federal assistance, and many do not have full-time jobs.

Bringing new businesses to communities like this can only be a good thing. Jobs will be created and more businesses will become interested in moving into the district, helping everyone.

Water may be free, but nevertheless water bottles sell for a reason. (And to tell the truth, to those of you paying your water bills, you can attest that your water is not in fact "free") This is great!

Shinobi Shaw

Dude you haven't seen Urban poor until you see children eating garbage in the streets of Mumbai or the wired shanty outer districts in Lagos, Rio's favelas? Hong Kong's Kowloon?

Bronx is mainly working class (what you don't know is that many work 'under the table' and I am talking about in the Legal sense, they just don't report).

Boogie Down

Exactly. There aren't very many truly poor people in this city, just a lot of people with ass backwards priorities. As for people in the Bronx being underemployed and uneducated, believe me, many of them like it that way. I mean, things like work and school really cut into the time you can spend representin' in front of bodegas.

I agree that many of us who live in the Bronx are middle class and the poverty is overhyped. I am well-educated and make a decent living. I live here because I am employed by one on the Bronx's large cultural institutions. Also, my husband was raised here. It just works well for us.

Now, back to the original point. Bottled water is stupid and Nestle is evil.

NannyState

Coming soon: "Bodega Springs Water"...

zodak

1. the bronx sucks

2. water is free

3. nestle sucks

hotstepper

5. cristina saralegui sucks.

HOTCUP

4. you suck.

Shinobi Shaw

This is sort of ridiculous, the Bronx is poor (American Poor, NOT Third world poor).

This is not Lagos or Rio's Favelas where good portable water is hard to find, NYC has excellent tap water.

And not all of the Bronx is poor, you go into Riverdale and it's Upper Middle class suburban, Pelham Bay is like any other American Town.

I honestly think this whole "Bronx poor" thing is exaggerated.

I have seen the ghettoes from Philly and LA and other smal US cities and they make the Bronx ones like Mayberry.

pnikic

The Bronx isn't that poor, is it? I always see so many nice cars all over the Bronx. Aside from the plastic bottle garbage (which I think is really bad), people will have more of a choice of either tap or bottle.

tom9d

Not all of the Bronx is poor. Parts of the Bronx - like Throggs Neck and Pelham Parkway in the East, and Riverdale and Woodlawn in the North/West - are very nice.

Clarice City

Hmmm. Kinda reminds me of that time Nestle campaigned all over developing countries telling women that breast feeding their babies was dangerous and that they should be feeeding the babies something more heathly like...oh Y'know...Nestle baby formula.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nestl%C3%A9_boycott

People, water is FREE.

r1b2

And they had to use local water to mix the Nestle formula, so the babies picked up all sorts of water- borne illnesses, including diarrhea, and the babies died from dehydration. Nestle is the devil.

MT

My dentist told me that a side effect of everyone drinking bottled water is that he sees more people with cavities. He recommended I switch to drinking tap water so I can benefit from the flouride. I had never thought of that before, but it makes perfect sense. Not to mention I don't generate plastic bottle garbage anymore. You can feel good all around for drinking tap water.

tom9d

I know it's a fact that the Bronx is the poorest urban county in America, but it's still disheartening to hear it all the time. We're not all poor!

HOTCUP

yeah, but like you said, it's the poorest urban county in america, so...

no you're right, let's not talk about it. i'd rather gothamist post things that would appeal to the hipster crowd and encourage them to visit, and move in.