Tea Accessories: What to Offer

New retail tea shops often derive 40% of first-year sales from accessories. Even well-established shops usually get 20% to 25% of sales from accessories, so this is a critical component of the business.

All tea accessories may be split into one of two categories: Brewing Equipment and Decorative Teaware.

Brewing Equipment includes everything you need to prepare a cup of tea: kettles, teapots, cups, thermometers, gram scales, teaspoons, and storage containers. These are the tools of tea. They should be focused on utility and efficiency, and should be reasonably priced.

Decorative Teaware usually serves a purpose, but focuses less on simple utility and more on aesthetic appeal. Decorative filters, teapots, teacups, storage containers, trays, warmers, and candles are just a few of the most common pieces. These make great collector’s pieces for tea lovers and wonderful gifts. Here are some items to consider:

1. Japanese cast iron teapots and cups
2. Chinese clay teapots and cups
3. Porcelain and ceramic teapots and cups
4. Decorative storage containers
5. Decorative teapots

As part of the store’s marketing strategy, consider featuring the teas, accessories, and culture of a specific region. For example, you could focus on Chinese Oolongs. During this themed period, you would highlight the teas in this category, offer a series of tastings and events, and carry a broader collection of decorative Chinese teaware. This will permit you to expose your customer base to a broad array of culturally interesting and aesthetically beautiful accessories without dedicating the shelf space necessary to stock a wide range of accessories from each category all year long. It will also provide your employees with deeper ongoing education in the culture and history of tea, without overwhelming them by requiring them to know the history and use of every accessory when the store first opens.

The retail store may also serve as a great test bed to identify the most popular decorative accessories that will then be carried on your website. The process of selecting the accessories for the core collection and for the themed promotional periods is one of the more enjoyable parts of the job of running a tea retail shop. Please consider including your customers and employees in building the ideal collection.