On any given day, more than 159 million Americans are consuming and enjoying refreshing, flavorful, functional tea. In fact, four in five of consumers drink tea, further cementing its status as a go-to beverage for the masses, states the Tea Association of the USA, New York. Because of its popularity and healthy attributes, the tea and ready-to-drink (RTD) tea category is hitting all the right notes as it offers a multitude of options for every style and taste, including bagged, bottled, loose-leaf, hot, iced and cold brew.
In Beverage Industry’s June eMagazine, New York-based Nielsen reported $70 billion in tea sales for the 52 weeks ending April 17, an 11.3% year-over-year increase. Among the sub-segments, liquid tea notched $3.4 billion in dollar sales (11.1% growth); RTD tea saw sales of $142 million (of which chai tea and iced tea were top sellers with $49 million and $42 million, respectively); and kombucha, $597 million (5.5% growth).