Teavana Alternatives: Explore the Best Alternatives to Teavana

Teavana Alternatives: Explore the Best Alternatives to Teavana

by Carrie Keplinger Have you noticed that tea is a trending thing now? With the growing popularity of businesses like Teavana, tea is experiencing an explosion in popularity. But what if you prefer not to shop at large businesses? What if you're looking for Teavana alternatives?
teavana alternatives - the best alternatives to teavana
First, let me say that we don't hate Teavana. I went into my local one before they closed and was happy to find that a lot of the things people used to complain about -- pushy salespeople, dubious sales tactics -- seem to have improved since Starbucks' takeover. The employees were quite sweet and helpful, and there were some genuinely nice teas.

But they're still not the kind of shop the discerning consumer necessarily wants to buy from, and since they closed their stores many people have been looking for Teavana alternatives. Finding good tea like Teavana really all depends on your priorities.
So let's chat about what you want from your tea, what's most important to you. Does it matter if your tea is organic and GMO-free? Do you care about fair trade or ingredients? Do you like supporting small businesses and local charities?
Large companies must blend their teas in larger batches, meaning it's harder for them to use all organic or GMO-free leaves; the quantity and consistency they need just isn't there because of the time, money, and manpower required to produce an organic product. The same is true for fair trade.
With smaller tea sellers, though, you're more likely to find these things. The folks who supply the ingredients for Plum Deluxe’s teas are all USDA certified organic, fair trade USA certified, and they do regular testing; many of our suppliers have even won awards for their organic programs. Any time something is done by hand or in small batches, it's easier to use higher quality, responsibly-sourced ingredients.
ingredients
Speaking of ingredients, organic and GMO aren’t the only things you might be on the lookout for; artificial flavors are a sneaky culprit that can affect the taste and, some believe, healthfulness of your tea. Why use them in the first place? Because they’re cheaper than natural flavorings, especially when a company has to make something on a large scale. While combing through the ingredients lists on their website, I found that almost 70 percent of Teavana's teas use artificial flavorings, as opposed to Plum Deluxe's zero percent. That's right: not one artificial ingredient in any of our teas. Again, smaller Teavana alternatives are more likely to use natural ingredients because they’re working on a smaller scale.
Sunshine
Social responsibility may also play a factor in your tea-drinking decisions. When you shop alternatives to tea like Teavana, you're helping support individuals and charities first; when you buy from large companies, you're supporting corporations first and individuals and charities second.
For instance, when you purchase Plum Deluxe tea, your money directly supports people like me and Andy and helps us support our families and share more passion with the world (thank you!). Purchase of some of our teas also help support non profits via our philanthropy fund. Plus, when you buy from us, you get teas that have been lovingly hand-blended in small batches with lots of good vibes and gratitude mixed in. That makes everyone feel good!
While it’s not wrong to buy tea -- or anything else -- from a large company, it can be helpful to examine your priorities to see if shopping Teavana alternatives is right for you.