Waitrose Love Life Dandelion, Fennel & Ginger Infusion with Liquorice Root

waitrose love life ginger infusion tea

Who: Waitrose

What: Dandelion, Fennel & Ginger Infusion with Liquorice Root

Where: Speciality Tea

How much: Rsp: 99p/20 bags

Why: Tea sales have fallen 4.7% in value in the past year to £619.8m - the equivalent of 64 million fewer cuppas [Kantar Worldpanel 52 w/e 22 May 2016]. Standard black tea has been a major victim of the slump, but speciality varieties have enjoyed a 8.7% surge year on year, with fruit and herbal infusions up 2.8%. This Waitrose infusion is part of the retailer’s Love Life range, which also features Camomile, Limeflower & Lavender and Peppermint variants.

Consumer verdict: The pack design generated some pre-trial interest, but the flavours polarised opinions across the regions. Our consumers in the North were most positive, calling the tea “refreshing” with a “spicy kick”. Testers elsewhere disliked the intensity of the fennel and liquorice and the “lack” of ginger. Some remarked that the pack was “not clear it’s tea”. Nevertheless, the product scored two points above the category norm.

Pre-trial purchase: 21%

Post-trial purchase: 34%

Better than what’s out there: 42%

New and different: 75%

Overall score: 33/50