Starbucks Expands Teavana Into Packaged Tea At Grocery Stores

Starbucks today announced the introduction of Teavana packaged tea where groceries are sold. The selection of six premium tea sachets are inspired by consumers’ favorite Teavana blends and will be available beginning this summer, expanding nationally throughout 2018. 

The expansion into grocery stores builds upon the success of the Teavana brand in Starbucks stores and allows consumers to bring the vibrant flavor experience of their favorite Teavana blends home. Teavana and Refreshment at U.S. company-operated Starbucks stores grew 14 percent, fiscal 2018 year-to-date. 

“The launch of Teavana packaged tea in grocery is just the beginning of the journey to bring consumers some of their Teavana favorites in a new, accessible format where they purchase their groceries,” said John Culver, group president, International, Channel Development, and Global Coffee & Tea. 

“Since our acquisition of Teavana five years ago, we have continued to innovate within the tea category and build distribution outside of Starbucks stores,” said Culver. “We remain committed to executing our plan to increase our tea business to $3 billion over the next five years through Starbucks global retail, packaged tea, and ready-to-drink premium Teavana Craft Iced Teas.” 

New Teavana Packaged Tea 

Teavana is a vibrant tea brand that provides unique taste experiences across various tea types and flavor profiles. Teavana teas are expertly blended by Teavna teaologists, who build layers of delicious flavors, which include the highest-quality full pieces of tea, real fruit and botanicals – tastes you can see. The six different flavors are:  

• Youthberry, A citrus-berry white tea blend with bright pops of tropical flavor. Featuring mango, orange, hibiscus and rose petals. 
• Peach Tranquility, Soft peach shimmers alongside tropical fruit with delicate herbal notes of lemon, verbena, and a chamomile finish. 
• Citrus Lavender, Inspirited by artisanal cocktails, this blend pairs zesty orange and sweet pineapple with lavender blossom and sage notes. 
• Jade Citrus Mint, Lemon citrus notes with green tea and a refreshing spearmint finish. 
• Imperial Spiced Chai, A unique take on a classic. Richly flavored chai tea – traditional chai spices and a Chinese oolong tea base, featuring cinnamon, tropical fruit and citrus notes. 
• Earl Grey Créme, An innovative take on an English classic. Creamy vanilla and soft lavender are added to black tea and top-quality oil of bergamot citrus fruit. 

*Source: IRI L52 week ending 4-29-18 MULO. 

Editor's Insight: The move to bring Teavana to the grocery segment could make it a more sought-after option for tea-centric office coffee service customers especially backed by a powerful brand such as Starbucks. It could also mean a lower ticket for OCS providers because consumers can get it from the grocery store. Either way, this is a move to watch.