As our world reckons with the effects of the global COVID-19 crisis, we restructure how we manage both our individual and our communal wellness. Consumers are increasingly looking for wellness benefits in all aspects of their lives, becoming more health-conscious and mindful. The world of tea mirrors these larger cultural shifts, as we see tea trends tackle everything from sustainability to digital developments.
Key tea trends include:
1. Consciously Crafted
There’s a return to artisanal products, as consumers seek slower living and a connection to the Earth. Not only do consumers want to be connected to the origins of their products, they also desire to be a part of the creation process that allows them to fully experience nature’s sacred energy and healing gifts. To that end, how businesses take care of our planet continues to become a major concern, as the climate crisis continues to drive the need for eco-friendly and sustainable initiatives.
We see tea brands create sustainable solutions through options like reusable packaging or ethical sourcing. Biodegradable options like Tease Tea’s fully biodegradable and refillable tea collection helps turn tea rituals into a zero-waste experience, while the brand Greenypeeps recently unveiled the world’s first carbon-negative tea. Their ultra-eco-friendly tea removes over twice the carbon that each of their products emit, leaving a net positive impact on the planet. We also see experimental formats, as brands like Coca Cola Japan look to freeze-dried tea, which both reduces individual packaging while optimizing freshness.
2. Health Focus
As consumers become more aware of what they put in their bodies, we’re seeing an increasingly mindful approach to nutrition that’s seeping into tea trends. Tea made with superfood ingredients, blends with immune-boosting properties, or targeted options that focus on specific health concerns like the gut microbiome are becoming popular, as consumers view tea as an opportunity to supplement their physical wellbeing. As increased immunity via gut health remains a key consumer focus, we begin to see more brands cater to this wellness need by adding pre, pro and postbiotic benefits to their teas, with options like Halfday Tonics’ canned tea tonics that feature prebiotic fiber, low sugar content and revitalizing green or black tea.
Building off this health focus, brands like Clover Botanicals are infusing their teas with nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables like beets, broccoli and tomatoes, while Taiwan's K.K. Orchard draws on traditional recipes to create their antioxidant-rich, roasted sweet potato tea. Ancient healing practices like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) also continue to trend, as we see more tea options infused with holistic, medicinal ingredients. The brand Five Seasons TCM shares the knowledge of TCM food therapy through educational content and functional products, with their tea-like Tonic Bags that feature a chic, avant-garde aesthetic.
3. Mindfulness
The new spirituality movement gains traction, as consumers expand their curiosity for areas like astrology, soul care, energy healing and alternate states of being, as our notion of things like “soul” and “energy” expand beyond traditional denominations. Stemming from our collective need for purpose and clarity, consumers want to take better care of themselves from a mind, body and soul standpoint, viewing soul care as crucial as physical health.
While tea has always been an inherently calming beverage, we’re seeing brands add in a dimension of spirituality for a deeper, more soulful experience. We’re seeing numerous tea brands offer blends that align with lunar cycles, as the moon becomes a major focus of wellness. Brands like Magic Hour are creating products that celebrate the sacred ceremony of tea through moon and astrology-themed blends. We’re also starting to see tea use this spiritual inspiration to move away from traditional forms like tea bags, with brands like Taylor Half Baked introducing their Tea Gems, which are crystal-inspired solid tea cubes that feature a sugar base surrounding edible flowers and a flavored tea bag, which dissolves in water for an unconventional experience.
4. Celebration
After such a long period of global stress and isolation, consumers are eager to heal ourselves through human connection and the power of communal bonds. To that end, our concept of self-care shifts to encompass a broader perspective that values interconnectivity and the strength of the community. There’s a real need to come together and celebrate one another through positive and mood-boosting products and experiences, as well as supporting our global community by buying from philanthropic, charitable brands.
Within tea, we’re seeing this play out in a variety of ways: First, there’s a rise of hybrid, feel good teas, with a particular emphasis on alcoholic-infused blends or sparkling options that offer a healthier alternative to sodas. We’re seeing examples like Hape Sake’s tea and sake blended beverages, along with Fortnum and Mason’s sparkling teas, which come in a champagne-like bottle and fun varieties like rosé. These new products are helping to shift the perception of tea from a purely calming beverage to an indulgent treat that is worthy of a place at special celebrations and party nights.
5. Cyber Era
The tea industry isn’t exempt from the digitization movement, as we will start to see more tea brands utilizing AI, AR and VR technology to produce unique teas and engage with consumers. While tea and technology might not seem like a natural combination, tech has a lot to offer to create an improved, ultra-personalized tea experience.
For example, BRÜ has developed an automated tea brewing device, which utilizes AI technology to optimize water volume, consistency and brewing time, with an app component coming soon that will enable users to pre-set tea brewing cycles and alarms. The BRÜ device also helps to sustainably conserve water, as the device only uses the precise volume of water needed. A similar device that integrates tech into the tea experience is the Morphy Richards Tea Maker, which features four brewing modes, temperature control and a basket for loose leaf varieties, with a digital display that enables users to select their preferred method of brewing. Tea packaging also evolves to immerse consumers into an alternate reality, with tech-driven packaging brand Immertia creating conceptual tea packaging that features a holographic spokesperson. The holographic figure is unlocked by scanning the packaging on a smartphone camera, activating the VR avatar to provide product information.
In addition to these tea tech advancements, we expect to see tea brands begin to experiment with technology in the year ahead. Trends like gamification, digital engagement and NFTs or nonfungible tokens (perhaps NF-teas?) will reach the tea world, just as we’ve seen them integrated into food, beauty, wellness and more.
Editor’s Note: Be sure to download the new World Tea white paper, “2022 Tea Industry Trends, Issues & Innovation.” The white paper features the article you’re reading now, as well as others like it. To download the free paper, CLICK HERE.
Melissa Hago is the VP and Creative Director of Beauty & Wellness at Fashion Snoops and has been in the trend forecasting industry for over 15 years. As an industry insider, she is constantly exposed to the latest innovations and trends providing story narratives and recommendations for product development. She launched the Beauty section within Fashion Snoops in 2011 after seeing a need for specific beauty, wellness, and food focused trend forecasting. Hago has traveled extensively to over 50 countries, immersing herself in various global cultures and providing global coverage of events and tradeshows. She is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology. To learn more, visit, FashionSnoops.com.
Plan to Attend or Participate in the
World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23, 2022
To learn about other key developments, trends, issues, hot topics and products within the global tea community, plan to attend the World Tea Conference + Expo, March 21-23, 2022. The event will be celebrating its 20th anniversary, in addition to being co-located with Bar & Restaurant Expo. Visit WorldTeaExpo.com.
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