Receive emails automatically when out of stock items are replenished

Previously when an item was out of stock, that item was removed from the website.

Now we are showing out of stock items on the website and you can add your email address to automatically receive an email when the product is back in stock.

We hope this will help keep our customers notified of the latest shipments.

End of year

What an amazing turnaround we've seen in the specialty tea industry. Earlier in the year and throughout most of the summer, sales were sluggish. But Q4 has really turned things around and frankly, we quite optimistic about 2010.

We are looking to make some significant changes to the website over the next 2-4 weeks. More news to follow.

We are also embarking on an upgrade to our inventory systems. We will be conducting a physical inventory over the next 2 weeks. Please be advised that orders placed Dec 21 may not be fulfilled until after Jan 2, 2010.

Enjoy the holidays.

2010 TransFairUSA license fees

Starting in 2010 TransFairUSA is initiating new contracts to shift responsibilities for license fee payments away from the Importer and onto the Manufacturer. Kopius Teas will be acting as the Manufacturer in terms of the supply chain for Fair Trade certified teas and herbs. Therefore we will collect the license fees and pay this amount directly to TransFairUSA on behalf of our clients.

There will be no change in how transactions are conducted on the Kopius Teas website, but you should indicate on your quarterly reports that the license fees were collected by Kopius Teas. These payments are shown as  Fair Trade Certified Tea - USA directly under the qualifying product on your sales invoice.

We encourage you to check with other wholesalers to confirm their policies, as you may still be responsible for other FairTrade license fees that are not collected by those acting as an Importer.

Temporary removal of minimum cost per order

We have noticed there are situations where clients do not wish to order a minimum of $100 per order. While there are operational and financial reasons for imposing a minimum, we are testing the elimination of this requirement in exchange for a higher shipping and handling fee.

Starting today, you can submit orders for less than $100 through our shopping cart. Nevertheless, we recommend you consider whether it is possible to increase the size of your order to over $100, as this will likely reduce your overall shipping and handling charges significantly.

To estimate your shipping and handling charges, enter your country, state/province, and zip/postal code in the shipping rates section of your cart and click "recalculate". This will display your alternative shipping methods and costs.

We will continue to monitor the demand for sub-$100 orders and do our best to continue this policy next year.

Case Quantities of Teas

If you've viewed our warehouse video, you may have noticed our teas most often arrive on pallets. These pallets contain multiple cases (or chests). When you purchase in quantities less than 50 lbs, you are often purchasing in less than case sizes. Essentially we break the case open to weigh the amount of product required to complete an order.

Kopius Teas is now expanding its operations to handle the sale of intact case quantities. Intact cases are easier to redistribute and customers enjoy considerable discounts over our sub-case pricing. Please contact us for more information or a quotation.

To facilitate ordering, you will find the case quantity of our wholesale teas and tisanes listed on the individual product page's "case size" tab (found underneath the product photo).

Canadian customers

Kopius Teas (www.kopiusteas.com) ships wholesale to Canada. There are a few special points you may wish to keep in mind when placing your order.

1. Your teas will arrive via UPS Standard. The shipping calculator will include all customs and duties to your door. Prior to submitting your order, check the shipping subtotal. You might be better off ordering in larger quantities to offset the total shipping expense. Furthermore, it is better to order a few pounds extra of the blending ingredients, as we stock some of these items in smaller quantities compared to tea.

2. We encourage you to request samples at the time of your order. This makes it easier to include in a single shipment.

3. If you intend to purchase and resell Fair Trade Certified products, please select the Fair Trade option marked for CANADA. This reduced fee is extended because you are expected to submit licensing fees directly to Transfair Canada (www.transfair.ca).

4. You should allow 6-12 business days for transit, as customs may take several days to process your shipment.

Kopius Teas at CoffeeFest 2009

We will be attending CoffeeFest 2009 in Seattle, WA. Ron will be giving a talk on the use of analytics in tea menu selection. The talk is scheduled for Friday, September 25, 10am. Please visit www.coffeefest.com for more information.

Kopius Teas on Twitter

Today we are officially launching timely communications through Twitter. There is a link from our website, www.kopiusteas.com or you can find us on twitter under "kopiusteas"