Tea in Serbia

PROSPECTS

Tea is still largely regarded as a medicinal drink for mild ailments

The tea drinking culture is still in its infancy in Serbia and tea is mostly consumed as a remedy for minor ailments rather than as a hot drink to be enjoyed in its own right. To this end, fruit/herbal and green tea are the most popular, with various fruits and herbs having reputations as beneficial for a number of minor illnesses.

Much discussion about the health aspects of tea, whilst tea bags may be harmful to health

Tea is widely regarded as a healthy beverage, particularly fruit/herbal and green teas, which often lack caffeine and provide a boost to various bodily functions. These benefits were widely discussed in media articles over the review period, which encouraged many Serbians to consume more tea as part of a healthy lifestyle.

Independent small grocers continues to lose share

Independent small grocers remained the most popular channel for tea purchases in 2019. These retailing outlets are located in densely populated areas and usually have a good offer of tea products, particularly fruit/herbal tea.

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

Fructus continues to extend its lead

The leader of Serbian tea, Fructus, again recorded the strongest increase in its retail value sales in 2019. The producer was able to achieve such a good result for a number of reasons.

Private label continues to grow, but remains relatively weak

Even though the combined share of private label tea increased slightly in 2019, it remained relatively low as the leading brands have loyal consumers and private label lacks tradition and a strong reputation. Consumers are clearly too attached to their favourite tea brands to replace them for the small price advantage offered by private label products.

Milford Tee Austria active with new product launches

Milford Tee Austria was active with a number of new product launches in 2018 and 2019. The launches were mainly in fruit/herbal tea and featured new flavours such as mild herbs, tangerine and cheesecake, lavender, apple and caramel, white tea and cherry blossom and apple, plum and quince.

Files are delivered directly into your account within a few minutes of purchase.