Tea time

Australian specialty retailer T2 is looking to tap into the growing global market for premium teas — and it’s doing so with a style all its own. The company’s first international store, in London’s hip Shoreditch neighborhood, took top honors as the Store of the Year in the Retail Design Institute’s 2014 International Design Competition.

Designed by Australia-based Landini Associates, T2 celebrates the art of making and drinking tea and offers an immersive sensory experience. The space has a raw, stripped-back interior, giving it an unconventional, youthful vibe. Brand elements include black interiors and old Chinese newspaper wall covering.

T2 offers premium teas from around the globe and a colorful selection of pots, cups and other related accessories. Highlights include a brew bar, where a brewmaster demonstrates proper brewing methods and provides brews for sampling. At the heart of the small space are tea-tasting stations and aroma tables where customers compare the different ingredients and fragrances.



A tea library houses the store’s selection of 250-plus varieties of teas, arranging them by type and available size options. The tea library creates a striking wall of orange, offset by the blackened, oxidized steel fixturing. Warm, subdued spot lighting highlights the product.



Founded in 1996 in Australia, T2 was acquired by Unilever, whose Lipton brand is the world’s top-selling tea, in fall 2013. The consumer goods giant has big plans for the premium tea seller, which currently operates over 60 stores, primarily in Australia. Under Unilever’s watch, T2 has opened its first London store and made its U.S. debut in Manhattan’s Soho in late 2014.