Austerity blamed for tumbling sales of high-end tea in China
Chinese government's austerity drive and anti-graft campaign are blamed for the continuing fall in sales of high-end Chinese teas, which are particularly popular as personal and corporate gifts. Despite stable tea output of around 1.95 million tons, China Tea Marketing Association reports lower sales of gift sets and group-purchasing, which led some manufacturers to drop prices by more than 50%, while others were forced to close their businesses. More consumers are also turning to mid-range teas purchased online - still a new trend in China. The country's biggest shopping day of the year, dubbed "Single's Day", saw sales of tea products reach almost 5 million items on Alibaba's Tmall, surging more than 50% compared to last year.