Specialty Coffee Retailer is a publication for owners, managers and employees of retail outlets that sell specialty coffee. Its scope includes best sales practices, supplies, business trends and anything else to assist the small coffee retailer.
Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/46786
category, the additional value in more expensive tea makers can oſten be related to added features such as insulation or higher grade materials, including stainless steel filters over plastic, etc. The grade of materials can obviously have an impact on the product's wear and tear. With that said, I would say that Target's value proposition is equally good to what you find everywhere else on the market, offline as well as online." "The biggest difference between buying a teapot from a chain store and a tea shop is that a chain store will typically have just one kind of teapot, while an independent tea shop will typically offer a huge assortment of teapots: a whole rainbow of different colors, shapes, styles, prices, materials and functionality," Waddington says. "Some of them less expensive than the one teapot the chain store carries but oſten capable of making better tea, some of them more expensive. The more expensive teapots at independent tea shops are typically pricier because of the aesthetics or looks of the teapot, or simply because they are better made with nicer glazes, better finishes, more effective designs. Some of them are even works of art." High-rise developer Donald Trump and supermodel Padma Lakshmi have their own tea lines, bringing bling to the category. According to World Tea Expo organizers, high-profile sippers expose tea to new audiences. "Celebrities see the value in getting in the tea business," says Jage. "We expect these lines to be highly successful, and we anticipate similar lines emerging in the future." The fastest growing demographic at World Tea Expo is men between ages 18 and 28, according to the organizer's data from the 2008, 2009 and 2010 events. "We're not only seeing a younger generation of tea professionals at our events, we're also seeing tea companies and retailers marketing to men and millennials with specific products," Jage says. GUY TEAPOTS Men have their choice of tea-making gear. "Japanese ironware teapots, which are called Tetsubin ware, are the perfect teaware for any guy," Waddington says. "Heck, they are made of cast iron in an iron foundry. How more guy-like could you get?" And men will spend to master their home brews. "Guys are gadget geeks," Waddington says. "Any unusual tea-making device—samovars, fancy adjustable-temperature kettles, any tea- making device with moving parts or that makes noise—again, think guys and their gadgets." The modern tea ceremony may not lack for accoutrements, but its lack of ornamentation is Zen-like. "Our design aesthetic is so clean and simple that it is not gender- or age-specific," Bodum's Perez says. "It is certainly far from the frilly, stale tea associations of formal service." The novice can choose from many tea accessories. "I think the perfect starter item is what we call a brew-in-mug. Some people call this an infusing mug," Waddington says. "This is a mug or cup with a built-in infusing basket, and it also usually has a matching lid, which keeps the heat in while steeping and then doubles as a coaster upon which to set the infusing basket of wet leaves aſter the tea is finished steeping." The design of ForLife's Mist Ice Tea Jug prevents excessive steeping. The Smart Tea Kettle from Chef's Choice automates the brewing process for optimal flavor. The Yo-Yo from Bodum features a perforated strainer and dual-purpose lid. November 2011 • www.specialty-coffee.com | 27