Teavana’s Growth Celebrated with ICSC “Hot Retailer Award”

Teavana, the specialty retail tea chain, was recently recognized with a "2006 Hot Retailer Award" from the International Council of Shopping Centers.

Atlanta, GA (PRWEB) July 8, 2006 -- Teavana, the specialty retail tea chain, was recently recognized with a "2006 Hot Retailer Award" from the International Council of Shopping Centers. The award reflects Teavana's dynamic growth, which is evidenced by its exceptional success as an emporium for gourmet teas and related merchandise.

ICSC selected five retailers for this fourth annual award, based on a survey of almost 3,000 shopping center management professionals across North America. Survey respondents identified the retail concepts they viewed as "hottest and most wanted." The awards were presented during the ICSC annual Spring Convention in Las Vegas.

Teavana's explosive growth -- its opened 50 stores nationwide since the first one launched in Atlanta in 1997, 15 in the last eight months alone -- is driven by significant national trends and market analysis by its management.

Tea sales have been strong in recent years, particularly in the gourmet category. Revelations about the positive health effects of tea drinking have contributed to this exceptional growth. Many consumers are finding the acidity and caffeine charge of coffee not to their liking, but are still influenced by the attractions of the coffeehouse culture. For them, tea is a preferred alternative to coffee, especially when presented in a similarly attractive environment. Perhaps even more significantly, American consumers have displayed a developing sophistication in the appreciation of premium loose-leaf tea.

Like the chain cafés that arose in the 1990s, Teavana bases its business on providing the highest quality products. The majority of Teavana's lifestyle buyers purchase premium teas, along with teapots and other accoutrements of tea culture, for home use. These superior teas are enjoyed in stores designed to convey a relaxed, cosmopolitan feeling.

Teavana also has an active and successful Internet presence, which draws on and supports the work of the stores. The website, www.teavana.com, brings Teavana's culture and products to consumers who don't have a store in their area. It also maintains the brand among those who visit the shops.

"The overall result," said Teavana CEO Andy Mack, "is a mutually supportive merchandising cycle that sustains and develops all sides of the business. We believe that the Hot Retailer award from ICSC shows that Teavana is a welcome tenant in malls, contributing to traffic and to the sense that a mall with a Teavana store is the kind of place an upscale consumer will shop."

About Teavana
Teavana is a place many consider a heaven for tea drinkers - a hybrid tea emporium and tea bar offering more than 100 kinds of fresh tea and beautiful teapots. This special blending of culture and concept is expressed in a name meaning "a heaven of tea." Visiting a Teavana emporium allows guests to gain familiarity with the appearance and aroma of loose-leaf teas, as well as the history of teas. Today, Teavana can be found in upscale malls throughout the U.S.

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