SPAIN
On November 5th, Per Sundmalm and his team at Tea Shop celebrated their 25th anniversary. In 1990, having found that most tea in Spain was sold in heath and herbal stores, Sundmalm bravely decided to open a tea store in Barcelona and his East West Company’s shop was one of the first tea stores in Spain to sell exclusively tea and tea accessories.
Sales were very slow until an article in a local newspaper alerted readers to the shop and started to turn things around. In 1993, a second shop opened in Barcelona and in 1995, the first Madrid branch was inaugurated. Since then, Sundmalm has opened between two and four shops a year and now has 50 shops in Spain, Italy, and Brazil, some owned by the East West Company, some as franchises opened in partnership with people who share Sundmalm’s passion for tea.
Sales of the 120 or so single origin, blended and flavored teas account for two thirds of the business, while tea accessories, sugars, jams, biscuits, etc. represent one third of total sales.
Learn more: www.teashop.eu