Tea and Sympathy
ALTHOUGH LAND’S END has been hogging all the publicity about establishing fun and comprehensive e-commerce Web sites, it is hardly alone. Many smaller catalogs have been quietly trying to set up wittier Web sites.
Case in point: The Republic of Tea (www.republicoftea.com).
The paper version of this whimsical republic was started by the same Mel Zeigler who founded the original Banana Republic years ago. While Zeigler is no longer involved with The Republic of Tea, his mix of humor and information still seeps through the site’s pages.
As befits a republic, people working for the catalog are not directors or vice presidents, but ministers. There are ministers of travel, leaves, well-being, and fire and water. While some seem to be created just for the site, others, like minister of e-innovation Robbin Harrison, prove to be real people.
Consumers are not just asked to buy, but to defect. They can even register as online citizens.
The pages are given such titles as Port of Entry, Journey of Discovery, or Expedition. In addition to the company’s mission statement, the content includes the history of tea, the types of tea and proper brewing techniques.
One section, TeaMind, serves up the notion that the Republic is dedicated to those who want to live life “sip by sip rather than gulp by gulp.” The essay proves to be an undigested blend of Zen and California.
Pages load quickly. That Journey of Discovery is the online catalog-not something we would have guessed from the title-is tipped to visitors by a round banner that blinks onto the screen, inviting them to “Browse the online catalog.”
The online catalog is easy enough to browse. It’s pretty much the standard “click to add to shopping cart,” “view shopping cart” system. The catch is the order has to be printed out and mailed or faxed (or phoned). The 2-month-old site is not yet e-commerce enabled, though it should be by the end of the year, according to Harrison.
However, consumers can leave their names and e-mail addresses to receive online newsletters and special offers or to enter a contest for an iron teapot.
Our call? With its stylish graphics, spaced-out whimsy and popular product, the site could have been our cup of tea. But without being e-commerce enabled, the Republic of Tea seems more like an underdeveloped nation.
