Some products have all the luck it seems. Bottled water sales, already helping to drive soft drinks market growth in several countries, took another leap last week as a summer heatwave in Europe pushed temperatures up to 37°C in Britain alone.
Pound signs were flashing across the eyes of supermarkets and manufacturers alike.
Tesco, Britain's largest supermarket, saw "massive like-for-like growth" last week with up to 121 per cent sales rises for some waters, a company spokesperson told BeverageDaily.com.
Sainsbury's, the UK's third largest supermarket chain, said it recorded its highest ever bottled water sales for one week, with a rise of 80 per cent on the same week last year. A group spokesperson estimated more than five million bottles had been sold.
Several branded players were less forthcoming about their heatwave success. A spokesperson for Nestlé Waters, which owns the Vittel and Perrier brands, said it did not track sales on a day-to-day basis.
However, Scottish brand Highland Spring, a rising star in the category over the last couple of years, said it had recorded unprecedented June sales and was on track for a record summer in the UK. "Our bottling plant in Pethshire is operating 24/7 to meet the demand," said marketing director Sally Stanley.
A similar story has emerged from France. A spokesperson for France's National Federation of Bottled and Treated Water said there were no exact figures "but it's evident that in the heat people are drinking more".
People have flocked to stores to stock up on packs of bottled water as authorities warn of the dangers of dehydration; 23 people have already died because of the heatwave.
In this context, bottled water producers have found themselves in the unfamiliar role of public service providers.
Around 7,500 bottles of Cristaline, France's biggest bottled water brand, were distributed to residents in the southern French town of Lodève last week. Cristaline producer, the Castel Group, was called in after a mains water pipe burst.
Local authorities there have also told people to use their taps as little as possible due to exceptionally low water reserves. The region around Lodève, which includes the city of Montpellier, has not seen decent rain for more than 130 days, according to weather experts.
Bottled Water's public service role has also emerged in Britain over the last few weeks, although doubling up as a marketing campaign at the same time.
Highland Spring said it had distributed 50,000 bottles free in parks across London to keep consumers hydrated, although this has also been used as part of a joint advertising initiative with the VisitScotland association.
The UK bottled water market rose 50 per cent between 1999 and 2004, according to data released last year by market research group Mintel. It warned, however, that many older British adults remained loyal to tap water.
Tap water supporters say it is a fraction of the price of bottled water, good quality and more environmentally friendly.
Still, international drinks consultancy Zenith International predicts that global consumption per person of bottled water could overtake that of carbonated soft drinks within five years.