Generation Tea from Red Diamond Coffee and Tea

And what they mean for your sales success.

Get To Know GEN TEA.

Who makes up Generation Tea? It's impossible to single out one type of person because, today, tea is enjoyed by so many different people. Guarantee you're offering a tea that meets the varying tastes of today's consumer and capitalize on the profit potential. Whether it's morning, noon, night or all hours in between, having the right products and information for Gen Tea can set you up for success.

159 Million Americans drink tea on any given day.
Americans consume 3.8 billion gallons of tea every year.
Four in Five consumers drink tea.

Tea Association of the USA, 2019

The Tea Sales SURGE.

Did you know? Tea is second only to water as the
world’s most consumed beverage.1

As consumer preferences move away from artificially flavored beverages, the demand for tea continues to surge. For the under-40 crowd, tea is a great way to appeal to their desire for those items they see as “healthy/good for you.”2 Because drinking tea is often cited as helping to boost mental clarity and slow down the aging process, teas of all kind are a favorite beverage for the over-40 crowd. Serving a great-tasting tea that satisfies not only increases profit margins, it can help ensure your customers keep coming back.

Source: 1. Tea Association of the USA, 2019 / 2. Progressive Grocer

A conversation steeped in tea.

We spoke with a renowned chef from the heartland of tea-drinking fanatics and aficionados to get his insights into Generation Tea.

Chef Myk Banas Director of Culinary at Opryland

Q: What’s the future of tea?

Tea is definitely on the upswing. It’s evident from the investment that beverage makers are putting into it and the fact that there are more standalone tea shops. Much like coffee, tea has become an all-day drink. Flavors also play a role. We see a lot of demand for flavors from everything like passionfruit and peach to hibiscus and ginger.

Q: How are tea sales effected in your various settings?

The majority of my sales across all of my venues are iced tea. And since it’s the South, sweet tea is a big seller. As for non-iced sales and specialty drink sales, most of those occur at our coffee shops. Hot AM tea is most prevalent at our cafés.

Q: How does customizability play a role in the appeal of tea?

Tea is an ideal base for all kinds of customization, which is ideal, especially for younger consumers. Adding a flavor and/or dialing up the sweetness can influence sales. Also, tea in cocktails and mocktails is growing in popularity with the adventurous drinkers.

23% of consumers consider a restaurant’s
nonalcoholic drink options “very important.”

Technomic’s Beverage Consumer Trends Report, 2019

Merchandising ideas to generate even more profits.

Tea drinkers are often interested and engaged in the stories behind the foods and beverages they enjoy. Here are some ways to peak their interests and drive sales.

  • Offer menu samplers for teas to boost engagement and to encourage customers to try something new.
  • Appeal to the artisanal aspect of tea by creating a separate tea menu with descriptors similar to that of a wine menu.
  • Utilize point-of-sale material to generate purchases.
    • Create eye-catching designs that enhance your store image with unifying designs.
    • Convey your branding message throughout the path-to-purchase, from exterior, to entrance, to order activation.
  • Offer sweetening alternatives that appeal to health-minded tea drinkers. Some unique sweeteners include monk fruit and sugar swizzle sticks.

Consumers expect to use more:

stevia 87%
agave 75%
honey 70%
demerara 36%

Technomic’s Beverage Consumer Trends Report, 2019

Teas That Ensure Consistency and Profitability.

Tea drinkers seek quality. At Red Diamond® we ensure that all of our teas meet the highest standards by globally sourcing our leaves from the finest fields in the world. We meticulously craft our teas with the least amount of stem content to ensure a better flavor, aroma and color. We adapt to meet evolving tastes with iced and hot teas, flavored teas, sweet tea and frozen tea.

Learn more about Red Diamond and how we make meeting our customers’ specific needs a priority. As we always say, you should “Expect Perfection”.