10 Trends in the Tea Industry in 2021

Some might say that 2021 has been a strange time to make forecasts and comment on current trends in any category. However, some shifts that developed in 2020 can provide insight into emerging tea trends in a COVID-19 world. As more and more individuals become health-conscious, consumers are turning to tea.

Paired with the boom in online shopping during the pandemic, tea products have room to grow in the remainder of 2021. Here are just some of the 2021 trends in the tea industry.

1. Premium Tea at Home

As fewer people dined out during the pandemic to avoid crowds and spending too much money, the food and beverage industry went through a transition. As people rediscovered the joys of cooking and eating at home, these patterns will continue through 2021. During the pandemic, consumers were discovering premium tea for the first time as they continued to search for healthy beverages that were affordable luxuries.

Once consumers began steeping their tea at home instead of purchasing tea lattes at their local coffee shops, they decided it was time to expand their understanding of the wide variety of tea available.

2. Wellness Teas

While coffee is still considered a relatively healthy beverage, tea boosts the most benefits over any other type of beverage. Wellness teas were already on the rise before the pandemic, but as more people looked for solutions to boost immunity, they found tea.

As consumers continue to be more health-conscious, they’re looking for beverages that can provide them with more than hydration. Living through a pandemic has made many people realize the importance of immunity-boosting food and beverages.

Plant-based foods and drinks, like tea, can be considered a wellness drink in and of itself. However, other wellness teas provide a blend of various teas to offer a specific benefit to the drinker. For example, a weight loss tea consists of multiple ingredients and teas to provide the drinker with healthy components to promote weight loss.

3. Online Shopping

Online shopping boomed across all industries throughout the pandemic – including the tea industry. As more consumers had time to try new things and develop an interest in them, online sales rose. This, paired with the fact that many local tea shops were closed during the pandemic, made it more likely that new and old tea aficionados will continue to purchase their tea online.

4. K-Cups

Everyone loves their Keurig because it provides them with the perfect serving every time. As single-serve coffee becomes even more popular, single-serve tea will follow. With more people continuing to gain an interest in tea, we can expect tea k-cups sales to continue to soar throughout 2021.

5. Eco-Friendly Packaging

By now, most Americans understand the need to move towards a more sustainable future. Tea companies have continued to roll out more sustainable packaging solutions, such as biodegradable tea bags, paper packaging, and improved tins to remove plastics from the packaging. Because tea is considered natural, it makes sense everything surrounding the beverage should be eco-friendly – and consumers are seeking this out.

6. Cold Brews

As cold brew coffees become more popular, so has cold brew tea. This tea is made by an infusion, which means the caffeine content is about half of what it would be if the tea was brewed regularly. This type of tea is easier to drink and has a less bitter flavor. Cold-brew teas have the potential to gain popularity throughout the rest of the year, and some tea companies even offer innovative tea ware for cold brew.

7. Coffee Drinkers Switch to Tea

While some dedicated coffee drinkers will never completely stop drinking coffee, others are making the shift to drink more tea. Some coffee drinkers are planning on quitting coffee for good and switching to an even healthier alternative – loose leaf tea. Some are also turning to matcha as a coffee alternative.

The reason for this change is likely because consumers are more concerned with their health. Some are using tea to treat or prevent ailments, while others are trying to reduce their caffeine intake.

8. Quality and Selection

When someone tries a quality tea for the first time, their dedication to tea becomes a bit more extreme. Guests will continue to look for quality in their products even after the first sip of a great tea. Consumers are looking for higher quality products in all aspects of their lives and will no longer compromise quality for price or quantity. However, they still want a large selection to choose from.

9. Sample Packs

Because there are so many varieties of tea out there, many tea shops are offering variety packs that give their customers sample sizes instead of a full package. This allows them to try a variety of teas without spending tons of money trying to figure out what they like. These sample packs will continue to be popular as more people start drinking tea to figure out what types of flavors are right for their pallets.

10. Shopping Locally

Shopping locally is a huge trend all over the United States because it promotes sustainability. A majority of tea shop’s inventory does not come from local sources because some don’t have local tea growers nearby. However, consumers come to tea shops because it is local rather than purchasing cheap tea on Amazon. Consumers trust the owner of a local tea shop to source only the best products and are their guide for tea.

The push to shop locally boomed during the pandemic last year when small businesses were in danger of permanent closures. The thought of losing local stores upset so many people they began to support them like never before.

Trends in the Tea Industry During the COVID-19 Pandemic

While the pandemic may have prompted some major shifts in the tea industry, the pandemic itself will not lead to the end of the above key trends. In most cases, the trends will continue throughout this year, while many of them are likely to continue for years to come.