Consumer Trends
Gift card sales on the rise
U.S. branded gift card sales grew monthly from February through June this year, according to research from First Data. Much of the growth was attributed to gift card malls (large gift card displays from a variety of merchants common in grocery and discount stores).
Unlike many beverages, tea has been less affected by the recent recession. Indeed, as the economic picture brightens, sales of tea products are rising. In 2010, tea imports were up 10 percent over the previous year, to a record 274 million pounds, according to estimates by the Tea Association of the U.S.A.