More U.S. Tea Consumers Think Outside the Bag
(from a press release)
As Americans look to slow down the rocket speed of today’s digital society, loose leaf tea is gradually becoming a way of life for millions of consumers nationwide. With double digit percentage sales increases annually throughout the past decade, loose leaf tea sales have reached the billions in the United States. Globally, more than 3 billion cups of tea are consumed every day, making it the most popular drink in the world after water.
Through consumer education and a newly announced U.S. franchise opportunity, TeaGschwendner, a leading global loose leaf tea retailer with 145 shops in nine countries, is changing the way Americans think about preparing and drinking tea. The established European brand, named after its German founder, Albert Gschwendner, is weaning a coffee-addicted America away from its high energy “buzz and crash” routine, to the more steady state of mind and body associated with tea – particularly, loose leaf tea.
“Most people here in the United States used to think of tea as buying a box of generic or national brand teabags from the grocery store and dropping them into a cup of hot water. But we are finding that once people experience the fragrance, flavor and gentle aromas of loose leaf tea, they’re hooked,” said Joe Capp, Vice President, North America, of TeaGschwendner. “Just once and that’s it. There’s no going back. They’re customers forever. Loose leaf tea becomes a way of life for them.”
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Image: TeaGschwendner
RedUmbrella Tea
Canada’s Loose Leaf Tea Co.
2 comments:
This makes sense and is good news.
I think in some respects the move towards loose tea is inevitable--as Joe Capp from TeaGschwendner points out--because it just tastes so much better and offers much better value for your money.
I also think that this movement is taking place within a broader movement...a move back towards natural foods and away from industrially-processed foods. Hopefully, the movement won't just be in the direction of loose tea, but also in the direction of diverse varieties of tea, single-region teas, artisan teas produced by small farmers, and so forth.
And that's exciting!
Couldn't agree more with both of you. Our experience is very similar, in that we find many people have never tried steeping a fresh cup of quality loose leaf tea, and sometimes it's difficult to get them to try it, even if they're not the ones preparing it! But once they have...there's no more tea bagging ;)
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