GENEVA (AP) — Nestle SA launched a high-tech tea-making gadget Thursday it hopes will match the runaway success of its best-selling Nespresso coffee machines and capsules.
First sold 24 years ago, Nespresso was the company's fastest-growing "billionaire brand" last year, increasing sales by over 20 percent despite the economic downturn.
Now the Swiss food and drinks giant is aiming to replace the humble tea bag or loose leaf brew with something called "Special.T."
"It will take a bit of time but not as long as Nespresso took," Petraea Heynike, executive vice president for marketing and sales, told The Associated Press.
Nestle says the €89 (US$110) Special.T device will be aimed at women and sold in France from September, with a further rollout in other European countries next year. A single portion capsules costs €0.35 (US$0.43) and boxes will only be available online or from a call center.
Nestle already faces competition from coffee rivals selling cheaper capsules designed for its Nespresso machines. But Henk Kwakman, who will take charge of the Special.T unit, said there will be a distinct advantage in using the company's own tea capsules.
The machine will be able to identify which of the 25 differently-flavored capsules has been inserted so that it can infuse the tea at the right temperature and for the correct length of time, he said.
