Bigelow Tea and AriZona Beverages are teaming up to offer retailers and tea drinkers a new line of bottled ready-to-drink chai teas as well as new hot tea flavors. The partnership marks a debut for both companies, with Bigelow entering the bottled, ready-to-drink market and AriZona the hot tea category. Both companies are family-owned and operate with a hands-on approach ensuring only the finest teas and other premium ingredients are used.
“Our goal was to enter this market to put Bigelow in the hands of more tea drinkers, and we found the best partner on the planet,” said Cindi Bigelow, president of Bigelow Tea. “Not only is AriZona the industry leader in the ready-to-drink category, but they are also a company with the same culture and entrepreneurial spirit as Bigelow Tea. We look forward to shaking up the tea market together by offering a new line of exciting and unique tea flavors.”
Bigelow Tea’s new ready-to-drink flavors are available in Mocha Chai Latte and Vanilla Chai Latte 10-ounce bottles and offer consumers a convenient, on-the-go beverage choice (Suggested Retail Price: $1.79 per bottle). Packaged in a youthful, brightly colored bottle, the teas offer a refreshing twist on the spicy, popular Chai tea flavor. After initial testing in New York and Florida, a national rollout will follow and continue throughout early 2008 in grocery stores and convenient stores.
Also hitting store shelves nationwide are three of AriZona’s top flavors in tea bags: Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey, Mandarin Orange Green Tea and Pomegranate Green Tea with Acai (Suggested Retail Price: $3.59 per 20 count box).. Branded and boxed as AriZona Tea, the teas are blended, packaged and distributed by Bigelow Tea.
“Simply put, we wanted to partner with the industry leader in specialty hot tea,” said Don Vultaggio, AriZona Beverages founder. “Bigelow’s expertise is unchallenged when it comes to producing a quality tea. Their values are on point with ours and it is a partnership that made perfect sense.”
Cindi Bigelow also added that the new bottled drinks will help Bigelow reach new consumer segments. “People know Bigelow Tea for our specialty tea flavors that are either brewed hot or cold. Our ready-to-drink beverages represent a whole new concept for us that will help us reach a younger audience and give our loyal customers something new and different.” said Bigelow.
