In a retail setting, the two words every salesperson should remember are “go with”. No matter what a customer comes in to view or buy, always suggest something to “go with” their potential purchase. And, reinforce that by placing these accessories near what they accompany. If you have the space, place samples of each in one area. Here are some ideas:

Loose leaf teas cry out for tea scoops and infusers. Tea scoops are available in every material from stainless steel to porcelain, from bamboo to shells. They offer an elegant, and accurate, way to portion out the correct amount of tea per cup or pot. Even when tea lovers have teapots with interior infusers, suggest extra infusers for when they serve tea in places other than the kitchen or the office. For those not interested in “another” infuser, keep a stack of small sieves with handles with round bowls. These not only serve to strain tea leaves from a pot or cup, they also have double function for straining liquids during cooking and sieving flours and sugars in baking. Buy once, use two ways is a great selling maxim.

Nitrogen-flush and stand-up pouch packaging have been fantastic in preserving freshness of teas, but sometimes customers just want a set or two of pretty tea tins for their tea cupboards. Satisfy that need with a collection of tins, glass jars, and other suitable containers. Table-top tea caddies are also fun additions to suggest tea lovers use to “go with” Asian tea service. Beautiful choices are available in Yixing clay, porcelain, and glass. Your customers can simply fill up the caddy with tea and place it on the table to use in filling, or replenishing teapots.

Full-leaf pyramid teabags have earned their prime place in popularity, but what does a tea drinker do with the spent bag? Teabag dishes to the rescue. These small dishes, sometimes called rests, are about 2-3” in diameter, perfect for neatly “resting” a teabag after use. Also, providing teaspoons is a witty way to remind teabag lovers they can squeeze every drop out of the teabag by wrapping the tag string around the bowl of the spoon. Both the dishes and spoons are fun to collect and collectibles which means frequent purchases to the savvy retailer who keeps them in stock!

Teapots are essentials for brewing tea and keeping it warm so offer both colorful ceramic ones for everyday use and finer porcelain ones for entertaining or special occasions. Make sure to mix up the inexpensive with the pricey ones on your shelves; that way if one is out of a person’s budget, a less expensive one right next to it to tempt her. Remind customers of these wonderful accessories to “go with” their new teapot purchase: cozies and toppers; teapot spout drip catchers, trivets to protect pretty tables, and, yes, infusers if the pot doesn’t have one.

Teacups. Who has just one? Everyone needs a choice, and many customers love to pair favorite cups with certain tea choices. Make it easy for them to buy cups by offering a genuinely wide selection. Scour online and local sources for unique teacups, both fancy and silly. Place them in a special area so that you can truly say they’re “one of a kind” offerings. Mix them up!

They may not be Meissen or Limoges, but tea mugs are super functional and it’s great to have several on hand. Remember to buy matching mugs with teapots for those who love “sets”. Remind your customers to measure the mug first to make sure how many ounces it holds. Mugs can be deceiving and hold anywhere from 6 to 16 ounces. So … keep a supply of measuring cups on hand to go with mugs so customers can measure them accurately.

Adagio Honeys were sourced to “go with” tisanes, greens, blacks, and fruity blends, so share the news about this great line. Also share accessories to make using honey simple: honey pots, dipper wands and wand rests, honey spoons, and honey sticks for individual servings. Remind your customers that honey isn’t just for tea; it goes well with coffee, tisanes, and in a variety of savory and sweet recipes.

Sugar bowls that go with matching creamer jugs can be whimsical, elegant, or downright practical and provide consumers with the opportunity to mix and match with their teapots. Consider also stocking brown or white or decorative sugar cubes and a wide choice of sugars (demerara, jaggery, for example) in addition to sugar tongs, and small dishes for placing the tongs in between tea pourings, a must for hygienic service. Other selections to consider are packets of sugar-free products and holders for them and smaller-than-usual teaspoons to add style to any tea table.

Cow's milk and cream are Great Britain's contribution to tea service, but today’s tea-with-milk aficionada might prefer substitutes like oat, rice, almond, and soy milks. Make sure to have those on hand when you offer in-store or restaurant tea service, and amp up your selection of small milk jugs for those who offer a variety of milk alternatives at home for their guests.

You’re a smart cookie when you offer packaged or freshly-baked treats like shortbreads, biscuits, cookies, biscotti or other treats to go with tea. Consider other “go withs” that customers would love to eat with tea like candies, tea mints, and other desserts you can offer home-made or made by local vendors. (Terrific cross-marketing “go with” idea to sell teas with bakers and pastries with your teas.)

Fabric napery is a good guy. Paper napkins was convenient, but fabric ones can be reused over and over again with a quick toss in the washer. Offer a wide choice of the pretty and the colorfully modern to suit everyone’s taste. Stack a few everywhere you offer teapots or teacups. They’re modest investments for years of use. Ditto for Tablecloths for the tea table.

Finally, if you offer tea service in-store or in your restaurant, use tent cards on every table reminding diners of which tea-table accessories and tea-related products they’re enjoying are available to buy. When they love having tea with them, they’ll want to use them at home, and to buy for gifts. P.S. Add a line if you offer gift wrapping.