Clipper black tea goes from strength to strength

The Fairtrade tea brand owned by Wessanen UK has grown its value sales by 4.4% in the last 12 months

Clipper Teas has become the UK’s fastest growing black tea brand according to latest IRI figures, growing its value sales by 4.4% in the last 12 months. This news comes despite a decline of 10% in the black tea category as a whole (IRI 52 w/e 21 May 2016).

Sourced from some of the world’s finest tea estates across East Africa, India and Sri Lanka, Clipper’s signature black teas have been blended and packed in Dorset since Clipper first launched in 1984. They have won a string of taste awards over the last few years including a Gold Star Taste award for the Fairtrade Everyday blend in 2013 and 2 Gold Stars for the Gold blend in 2013.

According to latest IRI figures, the black tea products grew their value sales by 4.4% to £5.72m in the 52 weeks to 21 May 2016, compared with growth of 2.1% to £79.3m by Yorkshire Tea during the same period. Private label black tea declined by 11.5%, whilst PG Tips, Tetley, Typhoo and Twinings recorded double-digit declines in value sales in the last 12 months.

In the last 12 weeks to 21 May 2016, Clipper grew its value sales 9.3% year-on-year, almost double the % growth of Yorkshire Tea (4.9%) and significantly outperforming the black tea category, which declined by 6.5%.

Rebecca Vercoe, brand controller for Clipper at Wessanen UK, comments:

“Clipper is creating a real ‘storm in a teacup’ in the everyday black tea category. When choosing their tea, consumers are increasingly looking towards the best blend of taste, quality and ethics. Our Everyday Organic Tea and Everyday Fairtrade Tea delivers all three in abundance, and these figures prove it’s what customers want.”