Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/491368
STiR tea & coffee industry international 75 Zhu Ye Qing green tea in 100-gram package contains 25 4-gram servings Zhu Ye Qing green tea in 50-gram package contains 12 4-gram servings Wuyutai Tea Ice Cream (Green and Jasmine flavor sell for $1 a cone). Booth #325 Understanding the needs of Chinese consumers gives local companies an edge, according to Reuters. Privately-owned Jiaduobao Group (JDB) makes canned herbal tea, claiming that the tea puts out internal "fires", playing on a concept in traditional Chinese medicine. "Our cam- paign around 'fearing internal fire' has helped JDB herbal tea become the high- est selling canned drink in China," senior executive Wang Yuegui told Reuters. Online tea sales The internet has ushered in permanent changes in Chinese life as tea companies jostle online for sales. In 2013 alone, the tea e-commerce industry reached a record high of RMB8.5 billion ($1.37 billion). Efuton, established in 2008, recog- nized the rapidly-changing retail battle- field and was the first to launch itself as a tea e-seller at the heart of the phenome- non. Tailored to white-collar office staffs, Efuton offers a cost-effective solution with detailed guidance for tea selection along with an unconditional return policy. The website has garnered three mil- lion online members and experienced exponential growth. It is now the biggest online tea seller in China with $32.2 mil- lion annual revenue. E-mania has led to concern for tradi- tional brick-and-mortar shops that must compete with online prices while manag- ing greater operating costs. "It is definitely crucial to have e-com- merce as a supplemental online presence," said Lin Rong Xi, vp at Bama, "and the online sales have been steadily increasing. But customers are used to seeing cheaper prices online, a harmonized price tag of- fline/online turns customers away." "We are still at the infant stage of tea e-commerce," predicted Wang Qing, vice chairman of China Tea Marketing Association.