The fourth edition of its Tea and ready to drink tea in the US report projects that the market growth will edge up from approximately 6.6% in 2012 to 8.7% in 2014, reaching $8.3bn.
Although supermarkets remain the top venue for leaf tea and ready-to-drink tea, tea sales have also been strong in alternative outlets such as convenience stores and natural food supermarkets. At natural food stores, the canned and bottled tea classification is posting double-digit growth.
According to David Sprinkle, publisher of the report, black tea remains the most popular type, but green tea is now firmly ensconced in second place, with herbal tea, fruit/spice-flavoured tea and decaf tea following.
Also attracting consumer interest are more specialised types of tea, including chai tea and white tea (both at least sampled by 10% of tea drinkers, according to Packaged Facts survey data), along with oolong, rooibos and mate.
Tea and ready-to-drink tea in the US also reports that sales of tea certified by Fair Trade USA increased 38% in the past year. Currently, over 90 tea companies offer Fair Trade certified products.
Honest Tea, now wholly owned by Coca-Cola, announced in October 2010 that it was converting its entire line of 28 tea varieties to Fair Trade certification. Such certification seems to be ringing at the cash register, with Fair Trade Certified products growing by 24% in 2010, according to SPINSscan sales data.
In addition, the tea industry has followed coffee’s lead into a lucrative new sales channel – Green Mountain Coffee Roaster’s (GMCR) Keurig single-cup brewing system.
Celestial Seasonings in particular has already profited from the partnership, taking the lead among K-Cup tea brands and giving it exposure outside of the hot tea season with its Brew Over Ice offering.
Another important new entrant in the K-Cup market is Starbucks’ Tazo, which signed a partnership with GMCR in March 2011.
Source: MarketResearch.com
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