My thoughts on: DAVIDsTEA
I wanted to start a new series today where I talk about my thoughts on various tea companies. I have accumulated a vast tea collection and have had exposure to many companies out there so I thought this would be an excellent topic of discussion!
Today I would like to talk about DAVIDsTEA. I first became aware of this company several years ago, around the same time that I started to buy Teavana. This was probably about 7 years ago. I really got hot and heavy with loose-leaf tea and I was Teavana obsessed. I had googled loose-leaf tea companies and DAVIDsTEA came up. I subscribed to their emails but never took the plunge and purchased anything. I think that the shipping cost at the time was the primary reason I didn't order. In hindsight I wish that I had started ordering so I could have gotten in on some of the epic teas and tea ware that were released during that time. So, I didn't actually start buying from DT until March of 2016. We were in downtown Naperville and saw the store and decided to go in. Wow, what a pivotal moment in my love of teas. I was instantly drawn in with the teal color of the store, the beautiful tea ware and the impressive wall of teas. I picked out a mug and a few teas to try and the rest is history!
DAVIDsTEA has a cult following. I have not really come across another tea company that sparks such loyalty and obsession. The core consumer it seems is one that enjoys tea but is looking for something other than a traditional feel. Honestly, I have run across so many DT fans that don't know what straight tea tastes like. When they try it they don't like it at all. With all fairness I run into a lot of Teavana fans that are the same way. These customers get so used to flavors in their teas that when they have straight teas or teas with all natural flavors they don't like them. But, the overwhelming customer is young, inexperienced with tea and looking for a hip, Instagram-ready product. But, there are exceptions to that and I am one of those. I am not young or naive to tea however I have become one of those obsessed with the brand. Although I know that there are other teas out there that may be more superior I still keep coming back to the brand because I love their aesthetic and am always excited about what they are doing.
I feel that they are trying to be innovative with their tea ware and are always coming out with a new device or new tea. And, as of late, their teas are definitely trying to be new and different. Take for instance the new Me to We India tea. This tea mixes fruity notes with India spices to create a very unique and complex fruity blend. And, the new Superfood splash mixes coconut and tropical fruit with of all things cinnamon! I enjoy what they are doing with being innovative and I think that in today's highly saturated tea marketplace they must stay innovative in order to thrive. I imagine that the closing of Teavana struck a cord in DT officials and they looked to evaluate how to decrease costs and boost sales. They must have realized that innovation was the key to longevity. I do own stock in DT and honestly it had not been doing well. Things seemed to be looking up when they released their latest financial results on April 19th. The summer 2018 Splash collection seems to be a massive hit so I will be curious how sales will be.
It seems though that as DT has cut costs perhaps they are cutting them in the wrong places such as with tea ware manufacture. I have not had issues with DT tea ware however I have read countless complaints about peeling mugs or defective items. I am very careful with my things and hand wash everything. Also, since I have a vast mug collection most of my mugs get very light use as they are constantly rotated. As part of the 2018 summer collection they released some beautiful metal tea tumblers, similar to the Yeti tumblers, however those had to be pulled due to peeling issues. Also, there were tea bottles that were to be part of the summer $1.00 tea program that were also pulled. During Christmas there were some matte latte mugs that were pulled due to coating issues. They had to rework the tea presses when those were released because fill lines were rubbing off. These mistakes are not good for their reputation or the bottom line. It is hard to tell if these issues are just from poor design or poor manufacture. Either way they are not encouraging the legions of fans to purchase.
All in all I do love DAVIDsTEA. I hope that they continue to innovate with fresh teas and beautiful tea ware. I also encourage them to come out with a blooming tea collection. And, I wish that they would reduce the sugar in their flavored matchas. Adagio makes some amazing flavored matchas without any added sugar at all. But, perhaps that is what the masses want and I am a minority. Either way I look forward to seeing what they come out with. Hopefully their future is bright and filled with teal and tea.
Happy Sipping!
S
Today I would like to talk about DAVIDsTEA. I first became aware of this company several years ago, around the same time that I started to buy Teavana. This was probably about 7 years ago. I really got hot and heavy with loose-leaf tea and I was Teavana obsessed. I had googled loose-leaf tea companies and DAVIDsTEA came up. I subscribed to their emails but never took the plunge and purchased anything. I think that the shipping cost at the time was the primary reason I didn't order. In hindsight I wish that I had started ordering so I could have gotten in on some of the epic teas and tea ware that were released during that time. So, I didn't actually start buying from DT until March of 2016. We were in downtown Naperville and saw the store and decided to go in. Wow, what a pivotal moment in my love of teas. I was instantly drawn in with the teal color of the store, the beautiful tea ware and the impressive wall of teas. I picked out a mug and a few teas to try and the rest is history!
DAVIDsTEA has a cult following. I have not really come across another tea company that sparks such loyalty and obsession. The core consumer it seems is one that enjoys tea but is looking for something other than a traditional feel. Honestly, I have run across so many DT fans that don't know what straight tea tastes like. When they try it they don't like it at all. With all fairness I run into a lot of Teavana fans that are the same way. These customers get so used to flavors in their teas that when they have straight teas or teas with all natural flavors they don't like them. But, the overwhelming customer is young, inexperienced with tea and looking for a hip, Instagram-ready product. But, there are exceptions to that and I am one of those. I am not young or naive to tea however I have become one of those obsessed with the brand. Although I know that there are other teas out there that may be more superior I still keep coming back to the brand because I love their aesthetic and am always excited about what they are doing.
I feel that they are trying to be innovative with their tea ware and are always coming out with a new device or new tea. And, as of late, their teas are definitely trying to be new and different. Take for instance the new Me to We India tea. This tea mixes fruity notes with India spices to create a very unique and complex fruity blend. And, the new Superfood splash mixes coconut and tropical fruit with of all things cinnamon! I enjoy what they are doing with being innovative and I think that in today's highly saturated tea marketplace they must stay innovative in order to thrive. I imagine that the closing of Teavana struck a cord in DT officials and they looked to evaluate how to decrease costs and boost sales. They must have realized that innovation was the key to longevity. I do own stock in DT and honestly it had not been doing well. Things seemed to be looking up when they released their latest financial results on April 19th. The summer 2018 Splash collection seems to be a massive hit so I will be curious how sales will be.
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| The Rainbow Tea Press from the 2018 Splash Summer Collection has sold out all over. It has been a very hot item for DAVIDsTEA. |
It seems though that as DT has cut costs perhaps they are cutting them in the wrong places such as with tea ware manufacture. I have not had issues with DT tea ware however I have read countless complaints about peeling mugs or defective items. I am very careful with my things and hand wash everything. Also, since I have a vast mug collection most of my mugs get very light use as they are constantly rotated. As part of the 2018 summer collection they released some beautiful metal tea tumblers, similar to the Yeti tumblers, however those had to be pulled due to peeling issues. Also, there were tea bottles that were to be part of the summer $1.00 tea program that were also pulled. During Christmas there were some matte latte mugs that were pulled due to coating issues. They had to rework the tea presses when those were released because fill lines were rubbing off. These mistakes are not good for their reputation or the bottom line. It is hard to tell if these issues are just from poor design or poor manufacture. Either way they are not encouraging the legions of fans to purchase.
All in all I do love DAVIDsTEA. I hope that they continue to innovate with fresh teas and beautiful tea ware. I also encourage them to come out with a blooming tea collection. And, I wish that they would reduce the sugar in their flavored matchas. Adagio makes some amazing flavored matchas without any added sugar at all. But, perhaps that is what the masses want and I am a minority. Either way I look forward to seeing what they come out with. Hopefully their future is bright and filled with teal and tea.
Happy Sipping!
S
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