Wednesday December 26, 2012 | 10 comments
There are a lot of things that need to come to an end – the world, however, not being one of them. Seeing as we all woke up with the blessing of another day on December 21, 2012, perhaps it is time to reconsider competition in the tea industry for what it truly is – FEAR. The success of the tea industry may well depend on a shift in our perception.
Since Starbucks’ purchase of Teavana, there has been a great deal of talk in our industry – some positive and some definitely coming from fear. We all have the ability to see the acquisition in any way we choose – and yes, the Constitution of this country allows us to express our views freely – but why not bypass the negativity and view EVERYTHING from an elevated position – dare I even say from an enlightened position?
It is time to end the fear and negativity of competition in the tea industry and welcome the spirit of collaboration. Occasions such as Starbucks’ acquisition of Teavana present us all with the ability to rise above our own petty concerns. We can bad-mouth companies, corporations, and individuals, or we can go about our tea business in a healthy, happy, and productive way – remembering why we got into it in the first place. For most of us, it is because we LOVE tea! Fear is the opposite of love. When we focus on the positive aspects, prosperity comes to everyone. I promise you – the pie is big enough for all of us.
A mind in harmony says, “Sit down, I’ll pour us a cup of tea.” It does not say, “Did this tea come from Teavana, Starbucks, Tazo, or somewhere else?” It simply accepts the gift in the spirit in which it was given. An open heart is what we all need – love is what we all need.
We each can have a piece of the pie and be happy and prosperous – the tea industry needs ALL of us! Everyone brings their own skills, personality, passion, and commitment to their tea business – so let them! You do your thing and let them do their thing – and a whole lot of tea will be poured and the world will be a better place because of it – because of YOU – and because of THEM.
“Who would then deny that when I am sipping tea in my tearoom I am swallowing the whole universe with it and that this very moment of my lifting the bowl to my lips is eternity itself transcending time and space?”
– D.T. Suzuki, Zen and Japanese Culture
Well said Dharlene. Fear is what stimulates a lot of negative behavior. I think you’re absolutely right when you point out that we have a choice…….to live in fear or to live in love and harmony with others. This is true in all aspects of our lives and no less true for the tea industry. I have personally found the tea industry to be more cooperative and supportive than others. We’re not perfect but I believe we do want to support our fellow tea lovers and entrepreneurs. On a broader scale, I believe a spiritual shift or awakening is occurring around the world. The sharing of tea can help facilitate this.This is an exciting time to be alive.
Time has not stopped for tea…time has just started for tea in America..Tazo, Teavana, Starbucks, Adagio, Dilmah…it is going thru a revolution which was temporarily shelved by the Boston tea party 175 years back, let us enjoy the new clock…Dharlene is setting the clock…
I hope the big corporations will share the spirit of positivity and sharing by allowing small companies to also share spaces in plazas and malls where they are, rather than writing them out. There’s room for everyone and competition should not be a threat to anyone…certainly not them. What say, big corporations? No more exclusion clauses? Capitalism at its’ most free and finest? :) That would be a positive thing for everyone!
I had no idea that small tea shops were prohibited from renting in large malls and plazas. Not fair at all. I guess it took a Teavana to slip in. You would think a mall would be happy to allow any creative use of their space and a charming tea shop seems like a great choice to me.
Michelle, you can go in anywhere unless Starbucks (or anyone) has written an exclusion in their lease that disallows any competitor, which I believe they do in all their leases, which ties up the best locations. Small shops do the same thing often. I think it squelches free competition and landlords buckle to ‘protect’ businesses. We were prohibited from most centers here because there was already a Starbucks there with a lease exclusion on competitors. Our Temecula Patch newspaper edited that out in a thread similar to this when I mentioned it in their article about small competitors going out of business here. Fast food places, wisely, want another fast food competitor next door because of the Law of Conformity; similar businesses can share a common demographic and wind up doing better because of ‘clumping’.
I should modify that because chains (or anyone) cannot write in exclusion clauses where there are separate owners of buildings, as in downtowns, which is often why small chains or independents do better downtown than in suburbia…they can get prime locations there. I can (as in Old Town here) go into any building, right next to a chain competitor if we want, because each building owner is not governed by another building’s exclusion clause. When you are talking about whole plazas, malls, or centers, that’s alot of real estate to control with an exclusion clause blocking competitors from coming into that plaza/mall/center. I’ve even had Farmer’s Markets that set up in parking areas, etc., of a mall not willing to let a competing product/business into the local Farmer’s Market because there is a store in that mall that competes with the product/business.
Very interesting. I agree that it squelches competition – isn’t that what our country is famous for – encouraging competition……? How sad that in practice, in malls and plaza’s, it doesn’t hold true. Ah….the mighty dollar speaks.
In the begining it was only Lipton & Brookbond, which grew to todays road rollers like Starbucks & Tazo..now it is the turn of small ones..growing demand and growing quantities is allowing small outlets to spring up everywhere..mushrooming ideas is allowing internet stores..things like Tealet..innovation is the key to success..let us not FEAR there is space for everyone..5 billion kilos of tea for 7 billion people on earth annually allows everyone to survive…
Dharlene, a love of tea and the enjoyment of a cup of tea certainly go hand-in-hand with your sentiments. Fear and competition are tied to something else entirely: money. Fear is also power when it is worked in the opposite direction.
As Diane mentions, if Starbucks and Teavana aren’t afraid of competition, why exclusivity clauses – because they can, power.
Why has the STI been stuck for years, poorly representing the needs of the smaller but growing specialty tea industry? Fear of upsetting the larger players in the tea industry whose dues they depend upon.
Even the World Tea Expo, loved by so many of us has at times controlled some of the content they produce so as to not offend larger exhibitors. Truth of love of tea loses out to fear/power.
Like you, we came to tea with a love of tea first. But as an old college professor used to warn us, “Depending what you love, don’t do it for a living if you can’t bear to witness the dirty nuts and bolts that go into creating the end product you love. You might be safer continuing to admire it from afar and be able to enjoy it for a lifetime.”
Tea is a business. Unthinkable as it may seem to some of us, a love of money trumps the love of tea for many. Fear and power are their coin of the realm.
Hello Everyone …. I did not receive any emails saying there were comments on this post. Thanks for chiming in – we are indeed a chorus – and every voice deserves to be heard – and yes, some just wish to blend in and keep doing what they love without attempting to ‘steal the show.’ Fear, power, money, greed …. look at our world …. see how well that has been working for us. NOT!