Teavana IS SpecialTeas?!
I am beyond embarrassed about this! I filed a complaint with the consumer complaints board; I do believe they are violating a law by not disclosing a relationship with a competitor. I’m telling all my tea friends to buy from Special Teas instead… since we do enjoy the higher quality loose teas Teavana got us addicted to…
Thanks all for sharing! :-) It’s the Tea Investigator Network!
I agree! But I would still advise going to Teavana to sample and smell the teas since SpecialTeas doesn’t have a brick ‘n’ mortar shop.
I agree with Cofftea as well… also Teavana has their own “special” blends that, of course, come from SpecialTeas BUT SpecialTeas does not carry that specific blend on their site… so unless you want to play around with what all is blended in Teavana’s own personal blend (as well as how much) then I would just purchase their signature blends from Teavana.
That is true, Teavana does have special blends that are only available through them. I try and avoiding finding new blends I might like at Teavana. This way ignorance is bliss, and their 50% mark-up avoids my bank account.
Very true! But their samples that they have out that are featuring their blends get me everytime….I have no will power! My poor wallet :-(
The blends always get me too. I may do some research to find my own mix of their chai blend…
I agree, Jessica – my wallet is weeping!
Go to “specialteas.com” …. it’s now redirecting to Teavana! Looks like Teavana bought Special Teas. I’m really upset because Special Teas was my favorite place to order from… the tea was high quality at a good price, and you always got a random free sample. Teavana is more expensive, and worse, I’m not even seeing Special Tea’s teas on the Teavana site. I’m almost out of Almond Cookie — where else am I going to get 4 oz of that amazing tea for $6?? Or get it at all???
Ok, looks like Special Tea’s “Almond Cookie” might be the same as Teavana’s “Almond Biscotti Black Tea”, which sells for $6 for 2oz. Maybe I was wrong about S.T. selling 4oz for $6…. anyone know? I’m ok with not having to order online since there is a Teavana nearby but I’d love to not pay double the price.
I am also interested in knowing if it’s the same. I know that someone posted that the ingredients were identical, but it might have changed? It also seems that almond cookie has better reviews compared to the almond biscotti. I wonder if they are still identical? I’m looking for an exact copy of the almond cookie, but I don’t know if one exists.
So does that mean any of the prices from Specialteas will now be the expensive Teavana price? And that all the specialteas disappeared from the site? I recently tried two specialteas and they were really great. Now it looks like I’ll never get to try Specialteas. Teavana sounds like a rip off.
Teavana has had a stake in SpecialTeas for several years before they took them over.
SpecialTeas acted as a wholesale division and sold to many tea shops as well as Teavana. The tea is EXACTLY the same….perhaps it was fresher from SpecialTeas as it was not sitting around in a store. Additionally SpecialTeas had a lower cost of overhead as a wholesaler than any retailer. I suggest you looks at www.teaviews.com for reviews by TEA COMPANIES and you can see that both companies rate in the 20’s among the TOP 30 Tea Companies.
I don’t know why, but teavana has always left a bad taste in my mouth (no pun intended – I’m sure the tea is fine) It’s just not a company I have felt the need to support.
After sampling many green teas, I came to really appreciate Special Tea’s Sencha Fine #676. Great flavor for the price. I was just going to order another 2 pound bag for $50 and my bookmark took me to Teavana instead. If anyone knows about a good substitute, I would love to know. Thanks.
I am in the same boat. Just finishing up the last of special Tea’s 676 now.
I haven’t found a replacement, but I can advise you what not to try:
thepuritea: chinese sencha. – bleh –
none of that awesome grassy flavor of the 676. I wish I knew their source.
I am extremely disappointing when they decided to do this. They no longer do wholesale business. I am currently searching for a supplier to replace them.
If you find suppliers to replace SpecialTeas I would be very interested! I have a Yerba Mate company in Washington State and we purchased many of the Melange blends as basis for our best selling teas. When they closed they wouldn’t share their sources, and Teavana has refused to do the same or to even consider wholesale (“we have no intention of selling wholesale at any point in the future.”) I’m in desperate need of source replacements!
I work at a tea house that carried 2 or 3 teas from SpecialTeas. Generally, they always have had some of the lower quality flavored stuff we have on the shelf. Yes, it’s true…Teavana has acquired SpecialTeas. We’re actually not going to be able to order from them anymore because of this.
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