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Chai Kadai or Hot Tea Shops (HTS) are not new, but they function largely in the unorganised space. During the initial phase of lockdown, the HTS, which have always been an integral part of Tamil Nadu society, also faced the brunt.
The size of the HTS segment in the State is not small either. Industry sources estimate it at around ₹480 crore annually.
Pandemic blow
“Yet the sufferings of this segment went unaddressed during the pandemic. Seeing the change, the new norm/emerging trend for brands, we saw huge marketing opportunity in this space,” says Puneet Das, Senior Vice-President, Marketing, Beverages India, Tata Consumer Products.
“The idea was not just to grow our business, but focus on people’s lives. Incidentally, we had a system in place, an ongoing relationship with a number of HTS. In an attempt to ease the financial burden of the tea shop owners during the pandemic, Tata Tea Chakra Gold launched the campaign #OruTeaSollunga.”
Crowd funding move
“It was a call for people to donate for a cup of tea (at ₹10 per cup) from the comfort of their home. We tied up with BharatPe to facilitate digital payments. Close to 11,000 people participated in this drive by making digital contributions. This along with Tata Tea Chakra Gold donating more than 2 lakh cups of tea, added to the contributions from patrons. Through a crowd-funding initiative, we raised ₹30 lakh”.
Kick-starting businesses
“We have mapped 2,500 HTS in the State, who we think need support to kick start their business and be back on their feet. Though people have started getting back to work, the out-of-home consumers are being cautious about their health, making choices carefully, opting for branded teas. This was not the case in the pre-Covid period, when people dropped by for a cup of chai, without paying much attention to brands,” he said.
Tata Consumer Products has so far extended support to 700 HTS. It is in the process of disbursing the amounts raised through the crowd funding initiative to the rest, after completing due diligence.
Such gestures would go a long way in strengthening our relationship in the Chai Kadai segment, Das said
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