- Contents
- *Overview
- What you need to know
- Key issues covered in this Report
- Covered in this Report
- Report Scope
- Definitions
- Figure 1: Definition of low/middle/high personal income groups, by city tiers
What you need to know
The tea drinks market has been impacted by the pandemic, with the RTD tea segment experiencing losses due to limitations on outdoor activities and festival gatherings, significantly dampening demand for Asian herbal tea. In contrast, teabags have gained in market share thanks to increased in-home consumption occasions, as well as active local players’ fast market penetration through e-commerce.
Uncertainties brought by the pandemic have fuelled demand for managing emotional wellbeing, and tea drinks have been strongly associated with stress relief. Moving forward, Mintel believes there are opportunities in product innovation to feature functional benefits and welcoming trendsetters to bring inspirations to the market.
Key issues covered in this Report
The value of market segmentation in 2020
How key market players are counteracting the pandemic
Influences from the instant coffee market
Changes in the tea drink tradition
Consumer attitudes towards sugar substitutes in tea drinks
Growth opportunities in functional benefits and emotional wellbeing
Report Scope
This Report examines the China market for tea infusions and tea drinks. The following tea categories are included in the scope of the Report:
All packaged black, green and other RTD tea drinks, such as Asian herbal tea (凉茶), milk tea, oolong tea and jasmine tea
Packaged tea infusions (in tea bags format): standard and other black, green, oolong, white teas, fruit & flower and Asian herbal, Pu’er Tea and yerba mate.
Market sizes exclude loose tea and tea powder products. However, these are covered in consumer research where relevant to provide a context for comparison.
Market size is based on sales through all retail channels (off-trade) and non-retail sales (on-trade or HoReCa).
Definitions
Mintel defines those consuming tea drinks ‘once a day or more’ and ‘several times a week’ as heavy users, ‘2-3 times a month’ and ‘once a month or less’ as light users, ‘haven’t drunk this in the last 6 months’ as non-users.
Mintel divides consumers into three groups based on their monthly personal income (MPI).