Nickname: Soko

Review: RS, you have no idea what you're talking about. You may be in the beverage business, but not on this planet. Ethos probably pays around $.25 for each bottle, and that's including a nice premium for their fancier bottle. And, the average retail premium on a single sales is so much higher than the ~16% you are talking about. Bottom line is that people who criticize Ethos for only donating $.05 are fully justified, because their profit margins on single sales are huge, and the retailers is also.

Date reviewed: Jan 27, 2009 1:35 AM

Nickname: SS

Review: Personally I like Tumai Water: http://your4state.com/content/fulltext/?cid=15565 They donate 15% of the gross profits of their bottled water to projects in Africa. Last month they donated 30%. They are small right now (being Distributed in WV and soon to be MD, OH and KY) but they are going to be on store shelves nationwide right next to Aquafina and Dasani (who send NO profits to Africa) and they will be retailing their water for between .99 and 1.19. A much better price for ALL to be able to afford and make a difference. They were also just rated the "Best Tasting Bottled Water in the World" at the International Water Tasting, and rated the "Best Spring Water on Earth" by Discovery Channel: http://www.discoverychannel.ca/shows/showdetails.aspx?sid=7547 Let's all support a charity brand we can afford! You can find out more at www.tumaiwater.com Also, check out: http://www.journal-news.net/page/content.detail/id/502478.html#comment502478

Date reviewed: Mar 20, 2008 12:13 PM

Nickname: RS

Review: Unfortunately none of the people critical of Ethos have ANY idea what is costs to produce a bottle. It is simply flawed thinking to look at the retail ($1.80) and then call out ethos/starbucks for donating just .5 cents. By doing so you are completely ignoring the company's cost to produce a finished bottle. I am in the beverage business and will explain the economics for all. It probably costs Ethos about $1.30 to produce a finished bottle. Ethos then turns around and sells it to Starbucks or their distributor for $1.50/bottle, who then turns around and sells it to the consumer for $1.80. Everyone needs to make SOME kind of profit to live!! I know this idea of free markets and profits upsets some of the socialists on the board but nevertheless stay with me for a second... So the profit Ethos would make is only about .30/cents a bottle after production costs. Therefore the .5 cents Ethos donates back actually represents almost 1/6th of the total profit! Show me one other "for profit" company in america that donates 1/6th of their profit back to charity!!! Jeez some people on this board bring real truth to the saying "no good deed goes unpunished".

Date reviewed: Mar 6, 2008 9:13 PM

Nickname: UNBELEIVABLE

Review: this is outrageous! this is a blatant scheme to fool us into beleiving that buying this water is a good thing. the more we learn of the harmful aspects of buying bottled water more people are going to look at ethos and say "ohh its ok at least this helps poor countries" it doesnt!!!! actually Thum and ethos are bullying out other companies that REALLY try and help countries without clean water by using the starbucks name while the other(actually concerned companys) cannot compete with the starbucks name. Example : Watercan in toronto. This is crap like the guy before me said they are making 100 dollars and donating 5 to charity. This is a TOTAL SCAM.

Date reviewed: Jan 23, 2008 3:24 AM

Nickname: Joan

Review: Ethos Water is insulting to our intelligence. How can anyone pay $1.80 with promise of 5 cents to some vague water charity. Will 5 cents even come close to covering the environmental damage caused by the bottle or the harm to aquifers, and possible damage from the plastic container itself. This product has made me thing much less of Starbucks as a company.

Date reviewed: Dec 14, 2007 6:39 AM

Nickname: shbhanda

Review: Why is it that those who try to good are always easy targets. While I agree that 5 cents is very small and 10 million isn't enough, the point is that more capitalistic charities are exactly what this overconsuming country needs to help the world, because we obviously can't count on our political leadership or for-profit corporations.

Date reviewed: Nov 27, 2007 11:29 PM

Nickname: sbux barista

Review: i hate the idea of ethos water, and I work at the store. 1. 5 cents out of $1.80 is nothing. get rich quick... exactly. 2. 10 million after 10 years... 3. I hope everyone read the part about bottled water. Selling this water in bottles is doing more harm to the environment than the good it would bring due to clean water. Just the pollution for transportation to get it from point a to point b is going to do more harm than the 10 million would do good. Summarized: they're under providing... talking up a small promise... these good intentions are nothing compared to the downfall of the negative effects of the bottled water by itself.

Date reviewed: Aug 11, 2007 7:51 AM

Nickname: mrfixitafrica

Review: Starbucks and Ethos water marketing campaign is nothing more than a cheap 'get rich quick' idea because to achieve their 'Goal' of donating $10 to water inititives around the world they stand to make over $100. It's obscene!

Date reviewed: Feb 21, 2007 9:25 AM

Nickname: Jenny

Review: Ethos water is extremely expensive. I applaud the idea of donating money from sales but I think the company can stand to donate more than five cents per bottle or lower the price of the water. Trader Joe's sells a comparable water for only 29 cents. Granted, Trader Joe's does not donate money from each purchase; however, people could probably just buy 29-cent water from Trader Joe's instead of Ethos water and donate the dollar and 60 cent difference in cost between the bottles.

Date reviewed: Sep 1, 2006 7:40 AM

Nickname: Disgusted

Review: I think it is disgusting that Starbucks is selling this water at a tremendous premium and they are donating 5 cents from each sale. The average American family contributes roughly 10% to charitable causes. Starbucks is contributing less than 3% of Ethos retail sales - and the brand is founded on the concept of charity. Anything for a buck. I'm disgusted.

Date reviewed: Jul 14, 2006 7:12 PM