More than seven years after its inception, currently over 60% of the company’s revenue comes from the HoReCa segment, with the rest coming from retail.
Petal Tea launched its wellness tea range in January after recognizing demand based on customer feedback.
“Cafe and restaurant customers have asked for options beyond our signature Blooming Tea. It appears that many consumers are looking for decaffeinated teas and options that are ‘good for hair and skin.'”
“We saw a gap in this sector and decided to develop a caffeine-free floral tea blend that is a natural and enjoyable way to support wellbeing and can also be part of a self-care regimen,” Petal Tea founder Rosemary Kwa told FoodNavigator-Asia.
The series features 10 blends aimed at addressing common concerns such as immunity, digestion, and relaxation.
“We did our research and found that stress management is the biggest issue in Singapore. Stress issues are preventing people from sleeping. And in general, people are looking for things that will promote better sleep. That was the inspiration behind our blend called Less Stress Today.”
“We also have options specifically for women, such as ‘Glow Inside Out,’ which may help ease discomfort during menstruation, and ‘Good Hair & Skin,’ a blend of natural ingredients that moisturize skin and hair to give them a radiant, healthy glow.”
The wellness products have been sold exclusively at Petal Tea’s pop-up shop at Takashimaya Shopping Centre since January, and were recently launched on the company’s website.
According to Kwa, the brand has been actively partnering with pop-up stores with good results.
“Tea is often given as a gift, so it’s good for us to be able to stock it at Takashimaya, where many people come to buy gifts.”
Not just tea
Pétale Tea’s lineup includes a number of Blooming Teas, hand-sewn floral tea balls that “bloom like a bouquet” when water is added.
“When we started, there were already many tea brands in the market, from overseas franchise brands to big local brands. There were more than 50 local independent brands alone, and now I think the number is over 100.
“In the tea industry, packaging matters. Most brands offer very generic or similar flavours. To differentiate, we focused on becoming tea experts. Not only do we curate our own blends and flowers, but we also started running workshops to teach people how to sew Blooming Teas,” Kwa said.
The brand has created some “interesting flavours” that it claims are not available from other suppliers, such as nasi lemak (a local dish of rice cooked with coconut milk and pandan leaves).
“Because we deal with HoReCa, we don’t think our clients would want to deal with so many different suppliers, so we also stock general teas for everyday drinking.”
Most of the blends are the brainchild of Kwa, who also manages the company’s B2B operations.
“I understand our customers’ pain points and I always tell them to see us not just as a tea supplier but as a way to increase their sales. What makes us unique for our corporate clients is that we are not just a tea supplier but also a solutions provider.”
“For example, we worked with Mercedes to create tea blends with ingredients that reflect our brand values, such as mango pandan, which evokes a local feel and nostalgia, helping to build brand loyalty. Additionally, Bulgarian black tea with rose buds represents elegance and forget-me-not was added as the focus of the campaign was on customer renewal.”
