 | Tea Industry Challengesposted by TeaHouseTimes Admin, ADVERTISER TEA RELATED PRODUCTSSaturday, December 26th 2009 @ 4:46 PM |
The last two years have been challenging for us all and although there are significant signs that the economy is finally moving in the right direction, the visible evidence of the disastrous affects of the worst downturn in the economy since the great depression will haunt our memories for years to come. Tea has always been considered a beverage that could withstand tough economic times because of its relatively low price and status as a staple food product but even tea did not come out unscathed. Tea imports into the country have slowed a bit for the first time in several years and many tea purveyors report that “flat” is the new growth term to describe the tea industry in 2009.
For all those tea businesses who have survived the negative affects of the economy in 2008 & 2009 the key point to remember is that the long term positive trends for the tea industry remain very promising. The body of scientific evidence linking tea to a great many health benefits continues to build as does the tendency of consumers to take ever increasing responsibility for their own health. These perfectly matched trends will virtually assure that tea will grow in popularity as a means to improved health. Further, the convenience of RTD tea and the ever increasing array of flavor combinations will make this category the preferred beverage for tomorrow’s increasingly mobile consumer. RTD tea will always be considered a more natural, healthy, flavorful alternative to soft drinks and even bottled water. As the economy improves so will consumer’s disposable income which will drive them back to the tearooms, restaurants, and hotels to explore and enjoy the wonderful world of specialty teas while escaping the stresses of their recent past. An improving economy and employee disillusionment with the corporate world will drive more entrepreneurs to the tea industry thereby increasing consumer awareness and availability of specialty tea and helping to keep tea growth rates strong.
For those tea businesses that did not survive the economic turbulence of the recent past, we urge you not to become overly depressed as you were not alone. Some of the biggest financial institutions in the country and the bluest of the blue chip corporations have also struggled with many failing or moving into bankruptcy. Your decision to move into tea was not flawed and you were simply a victim of circumstances which were totally out of your control. Someday you may find the financial resources and the intestinal fortitude to come back into the industry that I know you still believe in. We wish you better fortune and will help support your efforts in any way that we can.
We wish the entire tea industry good fortune in 2010 and look forward to hearing of the success stories that will surely come! We wish everyone a very happy holiday season and a New Year full of promise and joy. Joseph P. Simrany - www.teausa.org
From the Jan/Feb10 issue of The Tea House Times. To view the most recent issue, please log-in at http://www.theteahousetimes.com/ for free access.
