T2 (company)

T2 was co-founded by Maryanne Shearer and Jan O'Connor. In 1995, they registered a homewares company, Contents Homeware.{{cite news |last1=Shield |first1=Helen |title=These pioneer tea ladies are not potty after all|url=https://archive.org/stream/ThesePioneerTeaLadiesAreNotPottyAfterAll.June151998.TheAge/16.thesePioneerTeaLadiesAreNotPottyAfterAll.June151998.TheAge |access-date=1 June 2018 |publisher=The Age |date=15 June 1998}} After identifying a gap in the tea shop market, they shifted their focus to tea retail and founded Tea Two, stylized as Tea Too (T2), to represent the two co-founders.{{Cite book|title=T2: the book|last=Shearer|first=Maryanne|publisher=Penguin Random House|year=2015|isbn=9781921383625|location=[Melbourne]|pages=2}}

In 1996, Jan O'Connor and Maryanne Shearer each invested $50,000 to launch the company as equal co-founders.{{cite web |last1=Fitzsimmons |first1=Caitlin |title=Jan O'Connor and the other T2 story |url=http://www.afr.com/business/small-business/jan-oconnor-and-the-other-t2-story-20140822-jy823 |website=Australian Financial Review |date=23 August 2014 |access-date=1 June 2018}}

According to T2: The Book, Shearer stated that her business relationship with O'Connor began to deteriorate after she returned to work in March 2000 following the birth of her first child. This led to a legal dispute, ultimately resulting in O'Connor's departure from the business. In October 2001, Bruce Crome, Shearer’s partner, purchased O'Connor's share in the company.{{cite news |last1=Fitsimmons |first1=Caitlin |title=Co-founder tells other side of T2 story |url=https://archive.org/details/CoFounderTellsOtherSideOfT2Story.August232014.AustralianFinancialReview |access-date=1 June 2018 |work=Australian Financial Review |date=24 August 2014}}{{Cite book|title=T2: the book|last=Shearer|first=Maryanne|publisher=Penguin Random House|year=2015|isbn=9781921383625|location=Melbourne|pages=6–7}}

In 2007, Maryanne Shearer and Bruce Crome sold 50 percent of T2 to retail investors Jonathan Dan and Phillip Blanco. Following disagreements over growth strategies, Shearer and Crome bought back 25 percent of the company from Blanco, while Dan retained his investment.{{Cite news|title=All hard work and hot water|last=Gardner|first=Jessica|date=5 April 2014|work=The Australian Financial Review|page=52}}

Multinational company Unilever acquired T2 from Shearer and Crome in October 2013. As of 2015, Shearer was T2's Creative Director. In announcing the acquisition, Shearer highlighted Unilever's role in adopting sustainable agriculture practices for the tea industry as being a good value fit for T2.{{Cite news|title=T2's telling fortune in tea leaves|date=9 September 2013|work=The Courier Mail}} T2 had worked with Fairtrade since 2009 on its English breakfast tea blend.{{Cite news|title=United Kingdom: Unilever to acquire T2 premium tea business in Australia|date=7 September 2013|work=Mena Report}} In 2017, writer Jayne D'Arcy used the term "Unilever-ed", to describe the company's shift from being locally Melbourne-owned.{{Cite news|title=Melbourne made, going global|last=D'Arcy|first=Jayne|date=14 May 2017|work=Sunday Age|page=6}}

The purchase price was estimated to be less than $100 million,{{Cite news|title=Global domination in the tea leaves|last=Mitchell|first=Sue|date=5 May 2014|work=The Canberra Times|page=8}} and was later disclosed as $60 million.{{Cite news|title=Unilever reads tea leaves on T2 acquisition|last=Mitchell|first=Sue|date=26 April 2016|work=The Canberra Times|page=8}} Legal services for T2 were provided by Baker & McKenzie and Harris Carlson, with financial advice from Deloitte. Legal services for Unilever were provided by Johnson Winter Slattery, with financial advice from KPMG.{{Cite news|title=Bakers brews up for Unilever on high-end Australian tea deal|last=Broomhall|first=Elizabeth|date=16 September 2013|work=Legal Week}}

Unilever reached an agreement in November 2021 to sell the majority of its tea business to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for €4.5 billion. {{cite news |first1=Ashley |last=Armstrong |title=Unilever agrees sale of PG Tips and Lipton to CVC Capital Partners |url=https://www.thetimes.com/article/unilever-agrees-sale-of-pg-tips-and-lipton-to-cvc-capital-partners-wv3x8gz93 |work=www.thetimes.com |date=11 July 2024 |language=en}} This included the T2 business. The sale was completed in July 2022, with the new company named LIPTON Teas and Infusions.{{cite news |title=Unilever completes sale of tea business - Food & Drink Business |url=https://www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au/news/unilever-completes-sale-of-tea-business |work=www.foodanddrinkbusiness.com.au |language=en}}

On 1 July 1996, the first store was opened at 340 Brunswick Street, Fitzroy. A second store was opened on Fitzroy Street, St Kilda,{{cite news |last1=Faulkner |first1=Jane |title=Selective sipping down to a tea |url=https://archive.org/stream/14.SelectiveSippingDownToATea.May151998.TheAge/14.%20%5E%20%E2%80%98Selective%20sipping%20down%20to%20a%20tea%E2%80%99.%20May%2015%2C%201998.%20The%20Age |access-date=1 June 2018 |publisher=The Age |date=15 May 1998}} but was closed after 12 months due to low patronage. However, the following year sales increased 20% which prompted the company to expand into Sydney.{{cite news |last1=Shield |first1=Helen |title=These pioneer tea ladies are not potty after all |url=https://archive.org/stream/ThesePioneerTeaLadiesAreNotPottyAfterAll.June151998.TheAge/16.thesePioneerTeaLadiesAreNotPottyAfterAll.June151998.TheAge |access-date=8 June 2018 |publisher=The Age Melbourne |date=15 June 1998}}

In November 1999, a store was opened in Chadstone Shopping Centre, Melbourne. The success of this store helped to increase T2's revenue beyond $1 million.{{Citation needed|date=February 2024}}

In 2002, T2 expanded to Sydney with a store in King Street, Newtown. In 2004, there were six stores in the chain, and by 2005 there were eight stores, 55 team members and a turnover of $4.4 million. In 2006 the turnover was $8 million. In 2008, T2 moved its operations from Fitzroy to a leased office in the Port Melbourne area.{{Cite news|title=Tea change for importer|last=Lindsay|first=Nicole|date=5 August 2008|work=Herald Sun|page=59}} In August 2012, the company leased a warehouse at 50 Cyanamid Street in Laverton North.{{Cite news|title=In briefs|date=22 August 2012|work=The Age|page=9}} In September 2012, T2 leased a building at 35 Wellington Street in Collingwood, with the intention of relocating the head office to that location.{{Cite news|title=Briefs|date=12 September 2012|work=The Age|page=12}}

In March 2012, Shearer declared that T2 were "being brave" in the difficult retail climate by continuing to expand their number of stores.{{Cite news|title=Brave expansion|date=23 March 2012|work=Inside Retailing}} In September 2012, the first Tasmanian T2 store was opened in the Cat & Fiddle Arcade, Hobart.{{Cite news|title=Tea shop brews up arcade retail storm what's new|last=Smith|first=Linda|date=13 September 2012|work=The Mercury|page=1}}

In May 2013, a T2 shop was opened at 269 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, after it was vacated by designer Bettina Liano due to rental costs.{{Cite news|title=Chinese developers keen to call Melbourne home|last=Galacho|first=Olga|date=1 May 2013|work=Herald-Sun|page=66}} That same year, T2 opened a store in Cairns Central.{{Cite news|title=Hot cuppa's catching on|last=Guilfoyle|first=Caitlin|date=24 September 2013|work=The Cairns Post|page=8}}

In 2014, 18 new stores were opened. Three of the stores opened in London{{Cite journal|last=Dixon|first=Annabel|date=19 April 2014|title=Untitled|journal=EG: Estates Gazette|issue=1366|pages=3|via=EBSCOhost}} (including on Shoreditch High Street{{Cite news|title=Aussie tea specialist debuts in Shoreditch|last=Dixon|first=Annabel|date=11 April 2014|work=Estates Gazette Interactive}}) and one in New York City. A year later, a fourth London store was opened at 290 Regent Street, in the West End.{{Cite news|title=Two foodie flagships tuck into Regent St.|date=27 February 2015|work=Property Week|page=7}}{{Verify source|date=October 2020}}

In 2017, the first T2 stores were opened in Scotland{{Cite journal|last=Vyas|first=Shekha|date=11 February 2017|title=Untitled|journal=EG: Estates Gazette|volume=993|pages=1|via=EBSCOhost}} (131 Buchanan Street, Glasgow{{Cite news|title=T2 breaks record for Buchanan Street rent|last=Vyas|first=Shekha|date=9 February 2017|work=Estates Gazette Interactive}}), and in Singapore,{{Cite web|url=http://www.t2tea.com/en/au/about-us/about-20-years.html|title=About Us {{!}} T2 Tea AU|website=www.t2tea.com|language=en|access-date=2017-12-12}} the first outlet in Asia.{{Cite news|title=Australian tea company T2 cococts brew in homage to kaya toast|last=Goh|first=Kenneth|date=16 January 2017|work=The Straits Times}} As of November 2017, there were over 96 stores across Australia, New Zealand, the United States and Asia.{{Cite news|url=http://www.powerretail.com.au/news/t2-global-success/|title=T2 on Going Global - Power Retail|date=2017-11-03|work=Power Retail|access-date=2017-12-13|language=en-US}}{{Verify source|date=October 2020}}

In 2023, T2 announced that due to "unprecedented changes" of the past few years, they have decided to "close all operations in the Northern Hemisphere to focus on regions closer to home, such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore".{{cite web | url=https://www.t2tea.com/en/us/customer-service/contact-us/faqs.html | title=Tea FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About T2 }} T2's US stores closed on 19 February 2023, with its US websites trading until 22 February 2023 (with the exception of their Valley Fair location in California, which remained open until 25 June 2023).{{cite web | url=https://www.t2tea.com/en/us/customer-service/contact-us/faqs.html | title=Tea FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions About T2 }}

Beginning in the mid-2000s, T2 was supplying tea to approximately 300 cafés and restaurants across Australia.{{cite news |last1=Andrew |first1=Anastasios |title=Hip to sip |url=https://archive.org/details/HipToSip.July2000.VogueEntertainingAndTravel |access-date=1 June 2018 |publisher=Vogue Entertaining and Travel |date=July 2000}} By September of that year [specific year needed], the number had increased to 400, including a few international accounts.{{cite news |last1=Trzcinski |first1=Joanne |title=Yesterday's classics still today's chic |url=https://archive.org/details/YesterdaysClassicsStillTodaysChicSeptember2000.UMagazine |access-date=1 June 2018 |publisher=U Magazine |date=25 September 2000}}

By mid-2011, the number of wholesale accounts had grown to approximately 500.{{cite web |last1=O'Connor |first1=Jan |title=BIRTH OF A BRAND: T2, TEA AND ME |url=http://australasianteaassociation.org/birth-of-a-brand-t2-tea-and-me/ |website=Australasian Tea Association |access-date=1 June 2018}} By 2015, T2 was supplying 3,000 wholesale accounts.

The design of the T2 store is focused on the rituals of tea-making, and has been described as "a modern version of an old wares store-cum-apothecary".{{Cite news|title=Store concepts|date=1 October 2007|work=ICN-International Cosmetic News}} The first store had a pink-painted ceiling and Chinese newspapers as wallpaper.{{Cite news|title=Trendy Australian tea shop T2 to open in Bullring selling 200 teas|last=Chamberlain|first=Zoe|date=28 February 2017|work=Birmingham Mail}} The stores' interior design is dark, with orange and black as signature colours.{{Cite news|title=It's tea time|last=White|first=Lyn|date=7 May 2010|work=Inside Retailing}}{{Cite news|title=T2 tries for 60|date=18 March 2011|work=Inside Retailing}} T2's signature orange has been analysed{{By whom|date=February 2024}} as having vibrancy to appeal to a younger market while retaining simplicity for older tastes, and to imply the colour of brewing tea without being murky or brown.{{Cite book|title=Graphic design: Australian style manual|last1=Barnum|first1=Andrew|last2=Haddock|first2=Suzie|last3=Hicks|first3=Astred|last4=Oppen|first4=Felix|publisher=McGraw-Hill Australia |year=2012|isbn=9780071011051|location=Sydney|pages=95|chapter=Colour, elements and illustration}} Stores offer tea tastings and "smelling table" product displays of tea ingredients.{{Cite news|title=Shops plus|last=Maguire|first=Mercedes|date=19 April 2015|work=Daily Telegraph|page=66}} The design of the first T2 store in Scotland offered a tea fountain constructed from tea ware.{{Cite news|title=Time for cuppa as new tea shop opens its doors in city|last=Fotheringham|first=Ann|date=10 May 2017|work=Evening Times|page=11}} T2 store design inspired Sunshine Coast author Josephine Moon's debut 2014 novel The Tea Chest.{{Cite news|title=Lightning effect|last=Collins|first=Michelle|date=12 April 2014|work=The Courier-Mail|page=18}}

File:T2 Teas.jpg

T2's wide range of blends has been considered{{By whom|date=February 2024}} reflective of Australians' growing interest in boutique teas.{{Cite news|title=Filter|last1=Malkin|first1=Bonnie|date=27 February 2005|work=The Sun-Herald|last2=Carlton|first2=Alexandra|page=7}} The number of blends or varieties have been variously reported as "at least 250" in 2003,{{Cite news|title=Retail fix Specialty tea shops|last=de Silva|first=Janet|date=10 May 2003|work=The Age|page=6}} "over 200" in 2005, "about 180" in 2006,{{Cite news|title=Don't LEAF home without it|last1=Santer|first1=Vanessa|date=1 November 2006|work=Sydney MX|last2=Rao|first2=Shoba|last3=Torres|first3=Romina}} "250-plus" in 2015,{{Cite journal|last=Wilson|first=Marianne|date=2015|title=Tea time|journal=Chain Store Age|volume=91|issue=2|pages=50|via=EBSCOhost Business Source Premier}} and in 2017, one of T2's UK stores had over 130 types of tea.{{Cite news|title=Tea no longer to everyone's taste in Britain as new generation leaves their parents' tradition behind|date=3 September 2017|work=ABC Premium news}}

Chai became popular in 2006, and was one of the three top-selling teas for T2 in 2010.{{Cite news|title=Love at first sip|last=O'Brien|first=Mary|date=20 July 2010|work=The Age|page=4}}

Until 2007, all T2 teas were sold as loose leaf, but at the demand of restaurants, the company then introduced tea bags made of sheer muslin cloth in a pyramid shape.{{Cite news|title=Tasty bits|last=Reeves|first=Elaine|date=28 February 2007|work=The Mercury|page=42}} The tea bags were produced with a purpose-built imported machine.{{Cite journal|date=November 2006|title=On the shelf: Loose leaf tea in a bag|journal=Food Magazine|pages=14}}

In March 2009, in response to the growing popularity of Chinese classic teas, the Perth T2 store launched black tea pu'er in cake form, where previously it had only been selling it as a loose leaf variety.{{Cite news|title=Long history to the perfect cuppa|date=17 December 2009|work=The West Australian|page=8}}

T2 has a black tea blend with vanilla for Melbourne, Melbourne Breakfast Tea, as well blends for other cities: Brisbane Breakfast with mango,{{Cite news|title=Tea revolution - it's brewing|last=Bennett|first=Sue|date=22 April 2011|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=22}} Sydney Breakfast, and Perth Breakfast.{{Cite news|title=Australia day tea|last=O'Brien|first=Mary|date=21 January 2012|work=The Age|page=8}} In May 2013, T2 created Hobart Breakfast tea.{{Cite news|title=New brew to suit Tasmanians down to a tea|last=Smith|first=Linda|date=15 May 2013|work=Hobart Mercury|page=17}}

The Melbourne Breakfast Tea and Liquorice Legs were initially the best-selling blends in the Shoreditch London store in 2014,{{Cite news|title=T2 chief sees global domination in the tea leaves|last=Mitchell|first=Sue|date=5 May 2014|work=The Sydney Morning Herald|page=22}} with later top sellers being London Breakfast and Earl Grey Royale. Flush Darjeeling was so popular as to merit a waiting list.{{Cite news|title=T2 tea retailer brews up UK and global expansion|last=Sembhy|first=Ravender|date=3 August 2014|work=Express}}

In 2016 T2 introduced the Veggie Patch limited edition loose tea range.{{Cite news|title=Turmeric craze heats up as tea shop cashes in on King's Road|last=Morgan|first=Ben|date=16 September 2016|work=London Evening Standard Online}}

In 2017 T2 released a limited edition collection of chai teas, with blends tasting of popcorn, sticky honey, or honeycomb chai.{{Cite news|title=August report|date=4 August 2017|work=Manly Daily|page=14}}

In line with the first store opening in Singapore, in 2017 T2 created Singapore Breakfast tea, a blend of pu'er, green tea, coconut flakes and roasted rice.

Co-founder Maryanne Shearer received the Veuve Clicquot Business Woman of the Year award in 2012.{{Cite news|title=Tea retail chief business award|date=8 March 2012|work=The Advertiser}}{{Cite journal|last=Dent|first=Georgia|date=15 March 2012|title=Champagne award for food saver|journal=BRW|pages=11|via=Factiva}}

The Shoreditch, London store was designed by Australian-based Landini Associates. It won the Store of the Year in the Retail Design Institute's 2014 International Design Competition.{{Cite news|title=T2 takes top honors Retail Design Institute annual competition|date=28 January 2015|work=Chain Store Age}} Landini Associates also redesigned T2's corporate headquarters in Collingwood, which was a Silver Winner in the Interior Design - Corporate Category in the 2014 Melbourne Design Awards.{{Cite web|url=https://drivenxdesign.com/program/project.asp?app_ref=MEL14&ID=13506|title=T2 Headquarters|last=DRIVENxDESIGN|website=DRIVENxDESIGN|access-date=2017-12-12}}

In 2015, Christopher Stanko's T2 Tea Cotton Teabags designs{{Cite web|url=http://awards2015.agda.com.au/finalist/3/10005/511|title=T2 Tea Cotton Teabags {{!}} AGDA Awards|website=awards2015.agda.com.au|access-date=2017-12-12}} ranked as a finalist in the Australian Packaging Design Awards (Beverage category).{{Cite web|url=http://print21.com.au/finalists-revealed-for-packaging-design-awards/94278|title=Finalists for 2015 Packaging Design Awards {{!}} Print21 – Print industry news and information for Australia & New Zealand|website=print21.com.au|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-12}}

In December 2016, Metsä Board's packaging design for T2's mini fruit tea range won a Merit Award at the 28th Hong Kong Print Awards (Paper Packaging category). The design also won the Limited Edition category in The Dieline Awards 2017. Also in 2016, T2 won an IF Design Award (Beverages Packaging category).{{Cite web|url=https://www.metsaboard.com/Media/Product-news/Pages/Dieline-Award-to-Mets%C3%A4-Board%E2%80%99s-design-for-T2-tea-packages.aspx|title=Dieline Award, T2 Mini Fruit paperboard packaging design|website=www.metsaboard.com|language=en-US|access-date=2017-12-12}}

In 2015, Shearer published T2: the book, which discusses the company's history, profiles different types of tea and recommends tea cups and brewing techniques. Kristen Droesch's February 2016 book review in Library Journal highlights the artistic details of T2's design, stating that it is "more than just an advertisement for T2".{{Cite journal|last=Droesch|first=Kirsten|date=1 February 2016|title=Time for tea.("The Tea Book: All Things Tea," "T2: The Book," and "The Art and Craft of Tea: An Enthusiast's Guide to Selecting, Brewing, and Serving Exquisite Tea")(Book review)|journal=Library Journal|volume=141|issue=2|pages=95|via=EBSCOhost}}

T2: the book was designed by Evi O and was a category winner{{Cite news|title=You can judge a cover|last=Edgar|first=Ray|date=21 May 2016|work=The Age|page=18}} for the Australian Book Designers Association's Best Designed Fully-illustrated Book under $50 in 2016.{{Cite news|url=http://abda.com.au/archive/books/t2-the-book/index.html|archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20161206232500/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/155503/20161207-1025/abda.com.au/archive/books/t2-the-book/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=2016-12-06|title=T2: The Book - Australian Book Designers Association|work=Australian Book Designers Association|access-date=2017-12-12|language=en-US}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}

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