Sunday, December 9, 2012

The Bitter Tea of Starbucks Deal



Investor interest in Teavana Holdings Inc. TEA -0.06% is brewing, as the loose-leaf tea retailer—expected to report earnings Monday—prepares to be acquired by Starbucks Corp. SBUX -0.11%

Many brewers dream of one day being swept off the market by the coffee giant. But Teavana has faced backlash from analysts who indicated that Starbucks could do better, and from short-sellers who have speculated that the deal would fall through, alleging problems with Teavana's tea quality.
Starbucks said last month that it would pay $620 million in cash for the Atlanta-based tea retailer—representing the coffee chain's largest acquisition. Starbucks paid just $8.1 million for its Tazo tea brand in 1999.  Starbucks on Wednesday reaffirmed its agreement to acquire Teavana, saying that the deal would "jump-start the next wave of growth in the tea category," with the combination of Starbucks's experience in brewed beverages and real estate with Teavana's "best-in-class retail store unit economics."

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