T2 (company)

[9] In T2: The Book, Maryanne Shearer notes that her business relationship with O'Connor deteriorated when she returned to work in March 2000 after having her first child.

[10][11] In 2007, Maryanne Shearer and Bruce Crome sold 50 per cent of T2 to retail investors Jonathan Dan and Phillip Blanco.

After disagreements about growth strategies, Shearer and Crome bought 25 per cent back from Blanco, with Dan continuing his investment.

In announcing the acquisition, Shearer highlighted Unilever's role in adopting sustainable agriculture practices for the tea industry as being a good value fit for T2.

[17] Legal services for T2 were provided by Baker & McKenzie and Harris Carlson, with financial advice from Deloitte.

[18] Unilever reached an agreement in November 2021 to sell the majority of its tea business to private equity firm CVC Capital Partners for €4.5 billion.

A second store was opened on Fitzroy Street, St Kilda,[21] but was closed after 12 months due to low patronage.

[24] In September 2012, T2 leased a building at 35 Wellington Street in Collingwood, with the intention of relocating the head office to that location.

[25] In March 2012, Shearer declared that T2 were "being brave" in the difficult retail climate by continuing to expand their number of stores.

[27] In May 2013, a T2 shop was opened at 269 Little Collins Street, Melbourne, after it was vacated by designer Bettina Liano due to rental costs.

[32][verification needed] In 2017, the first T2 stores were opened in Scotland[33] (131 Buchanan Street, Glasgow[34]), and in Singapore,[35] the first outlet in Asia.

[37][verification needed] In 2023, T2 announced that due to "unprecedented changes" of the past few years, they have decided to "close all operations in the Northern Hemisphere to focus on regions closer to home, such as Australia, New Zealand and Singapore".

T2's store design is focused on the rituals of tea-making, and has been described as "a modern version of an old wares store-cum-apothecary".

as having vibrancy to appeal to a younger market while retaining simplicity for older tastes, and to imply the colour of brewing tea without being murky or brown.

[49] T2 store design inspired Sunshine Coast author Josephine Moon's debut 2014 novel The Tea Chest.

Kristen Droesch's February 2016 book review in Library Journal highlights the artistic details of T2's design, stating that it is "more than just an advertisement for T2".