Tasty Startups: Teabox
The Craving it Satisfies
India’s teas brought fresh to your doorstep.
Why it has a winning recipe
Best not tell Teabox to simmer down – after another recent $6 million infusion of funding, the company has shown that its intent to change world opinion on tea is far more than lip service.
Teabox is an online storefront and subscription service for India’s freshest teas. By winning an audience with data-driven recommendations and following a business model that parts from traditional distribution, Teabox manages to ship teas direct to the doors of tea lovers in as little time as a week after the leaves have been plucked – compared to an industry standard of 3-6 months.
Admittedly, I’ve always enjoyed tea, but never paid it as much attention as, say, wine or coffee. After reading up on Teabox and the history of the tea trade (truly the site has some fascinating stories worth sipping on their own), I have to wonder if I’ve ever enjoyed a proper cup of fresh tea? Easy to understand why the large base of tea consumers and investors are so keen on Teabox.
Buyers can shop for black, green, white and oolong teas as well as Chai and blends – not just by variety, but by region, estate, and even micro-season (or flush). Searching for individual teas gives tea lovers the opportunity to find the perfect tea for each palate, while the subscription service offers samples handpicked by tea masters.
For someone who grew up in a house where tea was synonymous with Lipton – and there was only one kind, so no need to specify – the sophisticated and varied selection available through Teabox simply astonishes.
I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising to see tea join the era of “personalized” commerce, but that doesn’t make the business any less impressive. Fast, smart, willing to do things differently than their peers and to satisfy discerning clientele: the tea leaves are the only things loose in this picture.
To shop India’s freshest teas and to steep your knowledge of Teabox the perfect amount of time, visit teabox.com.
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