6 tips for blossoming tea sales in your natural store

Legend says that in 2737 B.C., the Chinese emperor Shen Nung was touring his kingdom when he stopped for a rest near a Camellia sinensis bush. As his servant began boiling drinking water, leaves and buds from the bush blew into the pot. The emperor, an ardent herbalist known as the “divine healer,” decided to give the mixture a taste.

Nearly 5,000 years later, the tea Shen Nung discovered is a staple far outside of China—and second only to water as the most consumed beverage in the world, according to the Tea Association of the USA. China, followed by Japan, Holland and a host of other tea-loving nations, discovered over the years how to process and oxidate C. sinensis leaves and buds to produce black, green, white, oolong and pu-erh teas, while others experimented with herbal blends.

Today, China remains the largest global tea producer, and Ireland is the top tea-swilling nation, according to the United Kingdom Tea Council. But, of course, the United States holds its fair share of tea parties as well. On any given day, about half of the American population has a cup of tea, the Tea Association of the USA reports. In 2010, tea sales in conventional and natural retail stores surpassed $2.15 billion—up from $870 million in 1990. Last year was the 19th consecutive year of tea sales expansion in the U.S.

Tea Association President Joseph Simrany predicts supermarket sales of tea will increase 1 percent to 2 percent annually over the next decade. He believes specialty teas— varieties such as oolong or white tea that are not frequently consumed in the U.S.—will be the main growth drivers. While herbal blends are not considered traditional teas, they are also expected to fuel future sales expansion.

“There is tremendous [consumer] interest in specialty tea,” Simrany says. “This interest is strongest in the Pacific Northwest, but there is much evidence that it is spreading to the rest of the states as well.” The same desire consumers have for specialty coffee, exotic juice blends, microbrewed beers, imported olive oils and premium ice cream is driving the specialty tea surge, Simrany says. “This segment has the capability of doubling its volume over the next five years and may grow at an even faster pace with the right support from the industry,” he notes.

A variety of innovations within the specialty tea category are encouraging customers to sit down and have a cuppa. Here’s what experts predict will be bringing hot tea sales to a boil next year and beyond.