Tea in Costa Rica

PROSPECTS

Additional levels of specialisation continue to boost tea sales during 2018

As more local buyers from all socioeconomic segments of the population continue to adopt healthier eating and drinking habits, their interest in functional teas, as well as in fruit teas and herbal infusions, remains reflected in the tea category’s sales dynamics. Sales have kept growing thanks to new product launches, which have been focusing on additional levels of segmentation and specialisation.

New development opportunities anticipated for added-value alternatives

Given the rising relevance that tea (particularly fruit/herbal tea) is expected to have over the forecast period, there will be more specialised products, capable of targeting higher-income local buyers’ expectations in terms of quality and flavour profiles. In such a context, further levels of innovation shall be seen in herbal teas capable of adopting clear medicinal and health/functional positions.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Traditional domestic players remain ahead in volume and value sales

Despite the rising relevance of a broader range of imported added-value tea, domestic players Manza Té and Mondaisa remained the leading companies in the category during 2018. They were able to keep benefiting from strong levels of brand-awareness, wide product assortments, broad availability and affordable unit prices.

Imported tea is perceived as being higher-quality than domestic types

Beyond the offerings of the two leading companies, Manza and Mondaisa, there is a fragmented base of imported tea options, which includes some very specialised organic proposals (such as Numi) and a broad swathe of tea types with other product qualities. These are generally considered higher-quality alternatives to domestic brands, capable of providing enhanced consumption experiences in terms of flavours and their respective functional properties.

New domestic added-value products to gain momentum

Capitalising on the rising interest in higher-quality tea amongst an expanding base of local millennial consumers and international tourists with higher purchasing power, it is anticipated that tea’s competitive landscape will be characterised by an emergent offering of added-value domestic brands. These brands will be capable of adopting premium positions in terms of flavouring, organic certifications and functional/medicinal properties.

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