A cup of tea is a wonderful way to start the day, get a little boost after lunch or unwind in the evening.
And since we’re living in the golden era of online shopping, we now have access to the most incredible tea varieties and brands.
We are also given a chance to save a lot of money on tea as plenty of online shops offer tea boxes at a much better price point than most brick and mortar stores.
If you’re unsure how to shop for affordable tea online, you’ve come to the right place as we’ve got you covered on the most important questions.
Here’s how to buy affordable tea boxes online.
Types of tea
First of all, let’s take a quick look at the types of tea available. The real tea comes from a Camellia Sinensis tea leaf and black, green, Oolong, and white teas are just different types of tea leaves prepared differently.
Other types of teas are South American mate, an infusion of the yerba plant and South African Rooibos red bush tea.
Even though we call hot herbal beverages tea, technically, they are not.
Why shop for tea online?
Like with many products, currently, you’ll find a much wider variety of teas online than in most grocery stores or even specialty stores. That’s the number one advantage of shopping online.
Secondly, you’ll most likely save money as you can scour for deals and also, online retail has no expenses for keeping an actual physical store, which allows for lower profit margins (and lower retail prices!).
Lastly, it’s just more convenient! When you feel like trying something new, new flavours are just a click away and are delivered to your doorstep in no time!
Guidelines
To make your online tea shopping experience easier, we’ve put together a guide for buying affordable tea boxes online.
Choose smaller retailers. The beauty of shopping online is that you can find amazing small retailers that offer unique products. As you buy straight from them, you avoid generic stuff and get better prices. Why? Well, by selling online, the retailer has no middle-man and can save a great deal on those expenses, which means more affordable tea boxes for you!
Find subscription boxes. Tea subscription services are a popular choice for those who love the excitement of mail every month curated just for their addictions. If you’re an avid tea drinker, you’ll find fun surprises at your doorstep every month. Besides that, most of these services allow you to save a great deal of money just for subscribing!
You’ll also often get various fun gifts, samples and other freebies. Just make sure you find a subscription service, like the ones on this list of tea subscriptions by FiveBoxes.
Find experts. Different online shops sell different types of tea. If you’re a fan of, e.g. Japanese green tea only, choose a seller that specializes in that. You’ll get a much better product for a better price as niche experts have the best partners and get deals from wholesalers.
Buy smaller quantities. Buying online offers a chance to sample different teas by purchasing smaller packages. You will save a ton of money and find more affordable tea boxes if you focus your search on smaller packages. Besides, if you buy large boxes, you risk the tea getting exposed to the elements like humidity and might wound up tossing it before you finish it.
How to choose tea online
Okay, now that you know how to buy affordable tea boxes online, let’s take a quick look at how to choose tea online.
Read the description. Your first step should always be reading the description as it will tell you everything you need to know. The description not only tells you about the flavour, country of origin or type of tea, it also indicates possible allergens.
Many teas might have some added ingredients like nuts that can be dangerous if you’re allergic!
Inspect the photos. A respectable seller will have good quality photos available. Zoom in! You’ll notice the colour, the leaf size and the texture that all tell a story. E.g. darker colour or fine-cut leaves show a more intense flavour.
Read the reviews. That’s online shopping 101, so don’t skip it when buying tea! If most people loved it, the chances are that so will you.
