The Duncans News Letter 

               The Tea Industry - A Statistical Overview

Packet Tea Market- Not Brewing Well This Year

The last year of the millennium and the country’s best penetrated and cheapest beverage is  showing recessionary  trends. From January `99, month by month, the packet tea market has been registering a decline. Paradoxically, the decline set in soon after the excise duty on tea was lifted!

 These recessionary trends, however are not new to the industry. If we look at the last ten years of the packet tea market, in 94 and 95 the industry suffered 1% and 5% decline only to grow heavily in the following years. Even for 99, the signs of growth have set in. The market which was declining till September 99 showed a swing upward of 9% in October. The trend will hopefully continue.

 ·  Levers has suffered by far the biggest jolt in terms of about 47%in 95, the company now accounts for about 36% of branded tea market.

 · Goodricke, with current monthly volume of 250 tons is registering a huge decline of about 28%.

 ·  Local Players have been the biggest gainers. Over one year period (Jan-Oct`98 vs`99), they have gained 6% market share point (fuelled by an impressive 24% growth), and currently account for 28% of packet tea market

 In the present turbulent tea market (1999), Tata has emerged as the best performing company. The company has increased its market share to 18.3% with a current growth rate of 5.4%.

 The other players with respectable performance this year include Eveready, Duncans and Dhunseri.

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