Profiling of

Tea, milk & sugar customers (Tea stalls)

in Greater Mirpur of Dhaka

Prepared By:
 Contents

Executive Summary................................................................................................................................3

1.0 Introduction.....................................................................................................................................4

2.0 Objectives:........................................................................................................................................4
2.1 General objectives:.......................................................................................................................4
2.2 Specific objectives:.......................................................................................................................4

3.0 Methodology of this study:..............................................................................................................4

4.0 Data Analysis....................................................................................................................................7

5.0 Conclusion:.....................................................................................................................................14
Executive Summary

Tea perhaps is the most common beverage across Bangladesh over the last few decades. The sale
and consumption of tea at the tea stalls covers one of the major portions of tea market in
Bangladesh.

This study aims not to discover the performance indicators of any particular brand of tea, milk
and sugar but to estimate brand awareness of different brands across the tea stalls of Greater
Mirpur along with understanding the customer expectation from these brands. The study would
also availed the opportunity of creating a database of tea stalls in Greater Mirpur of Dhaka City.

This paper lays down the findings from the primary data collected to determine the most
preferred brands of Tea, Condensed milk and Sugar in the tea stalls. Leading brands of each
segment is identified by analyzing the primary data using simple statistical tools.
1.0 Introduction
Tea is an aromatic beverage commonly prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured
leaves of the Camellia sinensis, an evergreen shrub native to Asia. After water, it is the most
widely consumed drink in the world. There are many different types of tea; some teas, like
Darjeeling and Chinese greens, have a cooling, slightly bitter, and astringent flavor, while others
have vastly different profiles that include sweet, nutty, floral or grassy notes. However Tea is the
second largest export oriented cash crop of Bangladesh, following jute. The industry accounts
for 1% of national GDP. Tea-producing districts include Maulvi Bazar, Habiganj, Sylhet,
Chittagong, Panchagarh, Brahmanbaria, Rangamati.

Once a major world exporter, Bangladesh is now a net importer of tea. The rise of the
Bangladeshi middle class has increasingly driven the industry to focus on a lucrative domestic
market. The sector is today dominated by Bangladeshi conglomerates, including M. M. Ispahani
Limited, Kazi & Kazi, the Transcom Group, James Finlay Bangladesh, the Orion Group, the
Abul Khair Group and Duncan Brothers Bangladesh Limited etc.

2.0 Objectives:
2.1 General objectives:

To understand the market awareness and demand of tea brands in Greater Mirpur of Dhaka city.

2.2 Specific objectives:

 To create database on tea stall for Greater Mirpur.

 To know the tea, milk and sugar brands awareness among the tea staller.
 To understand customer expectation with existing brands.

3.0 Methodology of this study:

The study covered most tea brand producing in Bangladesh with the covering Dhaka city only.
Primary data has been collected by the GRM field team by preparing questioner. And Secondary
data has been used in this study. Secondary data have collected from different published like
Economic Survey Reports, and Statistical Yearbooks. Further, various national and international
publication organizations like NGO Forums, World Bank etc have reviewed by the researcher. In
the process of analyses of collected data, various statistical tools like averages, percentages,
tables, and diagrams applied in order to make the study worthier, informative, and useful for the
purposes.

This is a Quantitative research study where sample size (N=670 with coverage of Greater Mirpur
of Dhaka city in Bangladesh.

Production of Tea in Bangladesh: Bangladesh has a history of 170 years of tea plantation. Tea
was first grown in Bangladesh in Kodalaya of Chittagong in 1828. Malnicherra in Sylhet was the
first planned tea garden in the country under the ownership of Sylhet tea Company, in between
1856-1860. Tea plantation laborers were recruited from Bihar, Orissa, Madras, Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh, Bakra and also Nepal.

Currently there are 169 tea gardens in the country. Production during 2015 was 66.35 million
KGs. The total area allocated for tea is 115707.89 HA, the area utilized for tea production is
59609.43 HA, the total number of laborers is 122840, the number of staff is 2891, and there are
458 Officers. The national yield is 1270 KGs per HA. Although production of tea is primarily
dominated by Sylhet and Chittagong, in recent decades tea plantation has spread to the
Chittagong Hill Tracts and in Panchagar, Thakurgaon in North Bengal. Plans of growing tea at
the state level in Mymensingh, Comilla, Gazipore, Jamalpur, Netrakona and Cox’s Bazar are
also in the offing. Bangladesh produces CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) tea only.

Tea Production Company with Brand:

SL Company name Brand Name

01 Uniliver Lipton Taaza
02 M. M. Ispahani Limited Ispahani Mirzapur
03 Tata Global Beverages Tetley
04 Finlay
05 Seylon
06 Fresh
07 No-1
08 HRC
09 Danish

Above 9 most popular brand in Bangladesh so that these had been consider in this study. Further
we will have shown the details on response.
4.0 Data Analysis

Uses of Tea brand (Packet) in shop (multiple responses):

Tea brands (packet) used in shop

482
427

148 164
145
79 85
52
29 11
Taaza Ispahani Tatley Finaly Seylon Fresh No-1 HRC Danish Others

The first question about the brands a tea stall has used till date was designed to understand the
brand that is used by most tea stall (prefer it or not). In this question respondents may answer
multiple because generally tea stall can use various tea brands over the period of time, thus the
total count of brands are accumulated total of all the brands used in the shop.

Among the list of tea brands Seylon and Ispahani are the dominant players followed by Taaza,
No -1 and Danish following the chart. The above finding opens a doorway to further investigate
the reason for using the above leading Tea brands.

However, from the above finding we can say that Seylon is the market leader closely followed
by Ispahani among the tea brands (packet) sold in the tea stalls of Greater Mirpur based on the
parameter of most used.
Most preferred Tea Brand (Packet) used in Shop:

Most used tea brand (packet)

280

123
92
66
49
23
8 12 11 5
1
None Taaza Ispahani Tatley Finaly Seylon Fresh No-1 HRC Danish Others

The second question was about the tea brand (packet) mostly used/preferred by the tea stall
and above figure shows the representation of it.

According to the data finding the most popular/used/preferred tea brand among the tea stalls
interviewed is Seylon. This provides an opportunity for the follower brands to examine the
success story of Seylon and adapt to the positive indicators that contributes to the consumption
of the winning brand.

Concluding the above findings we can state that Saylon is the brand that is mostly used in the
tea stalls in Greater Mirpur area.
Uses of Tea brand (Tea Bag) in shop: (multiple responses)

Tea brand (tea bag) used in shops

413 420

112

18 12 22
7 5 0 6
Taaza Ispahani Tatley Finaly Seylon Fresh No-1 HRC Danish Others

Figure: 03 (Tea Bag user/stock)

Inquiring about the brands of tea bags available at the tea stalls the above statistical
representation has been found.

According to the collected data Seylon and Ispahani leads the chart closely competing each
other on a multi response analysis followed by Tazza Tea bags that are also said to be used by
some tea stalls.

Thus we can expect to see Seylon or Ispahani brand of tea bags to be available in the tea stalls
of Greater Mirpur.
Most preferred Tea Brand (Tea Bag) used in Shop: (Single Response)

Most used tea brand (tea bag)

314

190

125

6 2 12 1 4 11 5
0
None Taaza Ispahani Tatley Finaly Seylon Fresh No-1 HRC Danish Others

When asked to select the only brand that the tea stalls uses most often, the chartbuster of previous
question Seylon leads the market of Tea bag followed by Ispahani.

However it is also visible from the above data that Seylon tea bags have been leading this segment with
a remarkable difference from the next following brand.

To better understand the reasoning of the above scenario further exploration needs to be done that
might help researchers identify the influencing factor for the same.
Uses of Condensed milk in shop: (multiple responses)

Condensed milk brands used

432 439

359

90
32

Starship Danish No-1 Goalini Others

Unlike tea the condensed milk market has some close competition among 3 major brands,
naming “No-1”, “Starship” and “Danish”.

The store keepers seems to use different condensed milk from time to time and almost
majority of the stalls have a tendency of using multiple brands of condensed milk over the
period of 1 month, whereas the same is not applicable for selection of Tea brand (packet/bags)
Most preferred Condensed milk used in Shop: (Single Response)

Most used condensed milk brand

224 218

159

30 30

Starship Danish No-1 Goalini Others

The above data state “Starship” leads the chart with a very close margin over “No -1” when
asked about the brand of condensed milk used most often in the tea stalls of Greater Mirpur.
Uses of sugar brand in shop: (multiple responses)

Sugar brands used

668

1 0 0 27
Teer Igloo Fresh Non branded Others

Most used sugar brand

657

1 0 0 12
Teer Igloo Fresh Non branded Others

From the above charts it is clearly understandable that branded sugar is hardly used in the tea
stalls in Greater Mirpur. A very minor percent of the stalls uses branded sugar with tea.

This might look to be a “no entry market” for the branded products but further study can be
conducted to identify the proper reasoning for the above reason and also try to identify the
factor that may increase use of Branded sugar among the tea stalls in Greater Mirpur.
5.0 Conclusion:
The findings of the above study depicts that customers of Tea and Condensed milk has
preference of specific brands whereas, for sugar the stall owners prefer to purchase local non
branded sugar for consumption. A more vigorous and in depth study may be conducted to
better understand this market and come up with more precise and useful findings on this
sector.