Brand Story : from Kousmischoff to Kusmi Tea

If we say Kousmichoff, does it speak to you? And if we say Kusmi? You'll probably answer "tea". Behind this premium tea brand with its lively colors, lies a real success story.

In 1867 [1], a young man named Pavel Kousmichoff left his village to work for a tea merchant in St Petersburg. Fascinated and captivated by the world of tea, his boss who read in him a potential, offered him a small tea store as a wedding present. The first Kousmichoff tea house was born. He then let his imagination run wild and composed several tea blends, including the "Bouquet of Flowers" intended for his daughter but which became the favorite of the Tsar.

The number of stores in Russia kept growing and so does the brand. His son, Viatcheslav, took over the business and expanded the family business to England, which led to the internationalization of the brand in Europe and North America. The revolution in Russia being started, the Kousmichoff family fleed and set up its tea workshops in Paris. The brand’s name then became “Kusmi Thé”, easier to remember [2], before being changed into “Kusmi Tea” in order to faciltate international sales.

Viatcheslav passed the torch to his son Constantine for whom business was not as easy as his love for tea. From 1946 onwards, the company gradually declined before being bought by the Orebi family in France. In the early 2000's, Kusmi Tea's success was immediately revived and continued to grow. Hence, the brand remained French but still carries its Russian roots representing its openness and diversity.

Today, 150 years later, there are 85 stores in 35 countries and 600 employees around the world who are mobilized around the brand. We can't say that the company hasn't upgraded in a century and a half. On the other hand, loyalty to its initial positioning has earned Kusmi Tea the position of leader in premium tea in France today. Indeed, its brand image has always referred to an imperial Russian tea with aristocratic codes and an expertise especially in creative tea blends. These brand value propositions have always driven Kusmi Tea’s strategy, which explains the consistency in the evolution of its brand identity.

Laxcina ARUNTHAVAKUMARAN

[1] A propos de Kusmi Tea. Kusmi Tea. https://www.kusmitea.com/fr/notremarque.html

[2] Schwyter, A., & Achour, H. (2017). Comment Kusmi Tea a tranformé en 14 ans du thé en or. Challenges. https://www.challenges.fr