Australian tea brand T2 Tea shuts all Singapore outlets as it looks to ‘reset’ Asia retail strategy
A company spokesperson says the retailer is in its ‘strongest position’ in over a decade
Add BT as a preferred source
DeeperDive is a beta AI feature. Refer to full articles for the facts.
[SINGAPORE] Premium Australian tea specialist T2 Tea will shut all three of its outlets in Singapore, The Business Times has learnt.
It has branches at 313@Somerset, Suntec City and VivoCity. The brand opened its first Singapore flagship store in 2017 as part of its expansion into Asia.
In response to BT queries, a spokesperson for T2 Tea said the Singapore stores will close at the end of March as their “current leases reach their conclusion”.
The spokesperson added that the brand is “reviewing and resetting” its retail property portfolio in Asia, “which remains an important growth area”.
“T2 Tea is currently operating in the strongest position we have seen in more than a decade, following a period of disciplined focus and bold strategic decisions across the business.”
Customers across South-east Asia, including Singapore, can still buy T2 Tea’s products through its online store with local currencies.
Navigate Asia in
a new global order
Get the insights delivered to your inbox.
This allows the company “to serve the region more broadly” as it continues to invest in Asia and grow its footprint across more countries, said the spokesperson.
The brand will also keep serving its wholesale partners in Singapore, while exploring the “right retail opportunities” for the future.
T2 Tea’s priority is supporting its Singapore team through this transition, the spokesperson said, adding that the city-state will remain “an important part” of its community.
Its Singapore Breakfast tea blend – created exclusively for the domestic market – can still be purchased online. The company is also collaborating with a locally based artist to launch a special Singapore Breakfast tin and mug later this year.
All three T2 Tea stores in Singapore are holding a clearance sale, with products offered at 30 per cent off.
When BT visited the Suntec City branch on Monday (Mar 16), most of its stock had been cleared from the shelves. The store’s last day of operations is set for Mar 25.
Founded in 1996 in Melbourne, T2 Tea is a speciality tea retail chain with stores in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.
It offers more than 100 different types of tea blends, ranging from classic blends such as English Breakfast to other bespoke blends such as Melbourne Breakfast.
T2 Tea was acquired by consumer goods giant Unilever in 2013. Unilever later sold its entire tea business – which comprised 34 brands including T2 Tea – to private equity group CVC Capital Partners for 4.5 billion euros (S$6.6 billion) in 2021. (*See amendment note)
But the Australian company has faced difficulties in recent years.
In 2023, it closed all its outlets in the United Kingdom, including its online store, citing “unprecedented changes”. At the time, it said it would instead focus on regions closer to home, such as New Zealand and Singapore.
T2 Tea was listed as having 62 stores in Australia, New Zealand and Singapore, based on a news report published in June 2025.
*Amendment note: An earlier version of the article stated that Unilever sold T2 Tea to CVC Capital Partners for 4.5 billion euros (S$6.6 billion) in 2021. This amount instead pertained to the sale of Unilever’s entire tea business, which included T2 Tea.
Decoding Asia newsletter: your guide to navigating Asia in a new global order. Sign up here to get Decoding Asia newsletter. Delivered to your inbox. Free.
Copyright SPH Media. All rights reserved.
