Online business is booming. Valley Green Tea offers hints on how to make intelligent choice when purchasing premium teas online
Interest in premium teas
Interest in premium teas is growing rapidly mainly due to their numerous health benefits discovered during recent years. Many tea consumers are becoming aware that teabags are at the low end of the quality spectrum, while the premium quality teas are simply not to be found on the supermarket shelves. So where to go to find and purchase quality teas? Online of course, with a few deft clicks. Discerning whether a tea is of premium quality however can be quite a challenge for many. Purchasing online sometimes could be even more a gamble. A few tips to assist tea consumers when considering this shopping option:
Advantages of purchasing online:
- It is a source of concentrated and relevant information: Most sites will only display information relevant to the products they supply, but a good website should be a comprehensive source for gathering information about the different tea varieties, their health benefits and instructions for preparation.
- You are more likely to obtain fresh teas: Freshness is crucial when it comes to tea quality (except aged teas such as Pu-erh tea). For example, Valley Green Tea source new season fresh teas directly from the tea farmers in China. Certain teas are imported to Australia by Air freight and stored under refrigeration when required. The tea orders are then sent directly to the tea drinkers. With the absence of lengthy shelf exposure, storage at sub-optimal temperatures and other tea damaging factors, the likelihood of tea remaining fresh and of premium quality is significantly increased.
Pitfalls of purchasing premium teas
There is however a pitfall. Unlike commercial teabags, there is a wide range of quality for each type of loose leaf tea (please visit our Tea Quality page for further info: http://www.valleygreentea.com.au/chinese-tea-quality ). It therefore offers an opportunity for the more unscrupulous tea merchants to supply low quality teas to fetch a bigger profit margin.
Precautions when purchasing premium teas online
A few precautions you can take in order to help you to avoid potential disappointments are:
- Request tea samples before purchase, if possible.
- Find a reputable supplier and stay with it. Like all other businesses, good tea suppliers invest in building their credentials around the quality of their products and services. Recommendation by someone you know is invaluable, otherwise voluntary online reviews posted by genuine tea consumers also provide excellent indications.
- If anything appears to be too good to be true, the chances are that it is not true; (unless the arguments are backed by solid evidence such as original research reports). There have been many false claims and testimonials posted on certain websites during recent years, especially in relation to certain weight loss teas. Terms such as ‘super fat burner’ and ‘secret slimming tea’ have been used to lure those vulnerable people looking for fast track weight loss. Dealing with these websites can lead to far more than just a disappointing experience.
- Use a local supplier if possible. When there is a dispute either about the product or the service, dealing with an overseas company becomes almost impossible.
For those who have only used teabags before, premium loose tea is a completely different experience altogether.