Modern Latte Cups Are Outselling Traditional Tea Mugs in the U.K., Per Sales Figures

New sales figures from the United Kingdom reveal that modern, glass latte mugs are now a more popular purchase than the traditional tea mug, per one source.

The data – from the U.K.’s household and garden retailer wilko – shows glass coffee-style mugs, made popular by chains such as Starbucks, are outselling conventional tea mugs by a third.

The figures, published ahead of the U.K’s National Tea Day 2023 (April 21), showed wilko’s most popular latte cup is a considerable 33 percent more popular than its top-selling tea mug.

Tea Mugs Data - Retail Trends 2023 - Glass Latte Cups
wilko’s popular latte cup (Photo: Courtesy of wilko)

Tea first landed on British shores in the 17th century and boomed to become part of people’s everyday life, however, management at wilko said the data indicates the nation’s love of tea is beginning to wane in favor of coffee.

A survey in 2021 from Statista found coffee and tea to be the U.K.’s favorite drink in equal measure, with both beverages consumed by 63 percent of the survey respondents regularly.

However, the new research from wilko shows that coffee may have actually have overtaken tea in popularity – with a large number of households stocking up on new-style coffee glassware to cater to the U.K.’s more recent obsession with café culture.

Eleanor Davey, senior buyer at wilko, noted, “There is no denying Britain’s love for a classic cup of tea. However, our latest data shows a significant increase in latte glasses in comparison to tea mugs, demonstrating a shift in the nation’s hot drink preferences.”

Davey added: “That’s not to say the U.K. is turning its back on tea anytime soon! wilko still has a large number of tea mugs online and in-store, and we’re certain there’s still plenty of people out there who regularly opt for a brew instead of coffee to help them through the day.”

To learn more about wilko, visit wilko.com.

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