In November 2025, a landmark transaction shook the global tea industry: global fast-moving consumer goods giant Unilever completed the sale of its entire tea business segment Ekaterra to European private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for 4.5 billion euros.
Ekaterra includes the iconic Lipton brand and 33 other tea brands, making this transaction known as a "century deal" in the industry.
This move marks the end of the era of cheap, standardized traditional tea bags, a product category that has dominated the global tea market for decades. Industry insiders analyze that the main reason for Unilever's divestment is the long-term decline in sales of traditional tea bags and the continuous compression of profit margins, as consumers' consumption preferences have undergone profound changes.
In sharp contrast, the global tea consumption market is experiencing a major transformation: more and more consumers are abandoning low-quality, cheap tea bags and turning to high-quality loose leaf green tea, specialty green tea, matcha, and cold brew tea.
This trend brings huge development opportunities for Chinese green tea enterprises, which can leverage their advantages in loose leaf green tea resources, mature processing techniques, and diverse varieties to accelerate brand building and international market expansion.
