The packaged tea brand Starbucks sold to Unilever in 2017 was Tazo.
Starbucks announced the sale in November 2017 as part of a strategy to concentrate its premium tea business under the Teavana name. The transaction covered Tazo’s recipes, intellectual property, inventory, and related brand assets, and the sale closed in December for about $384 million.
Tazo had been founded in 1994 and acquired by Starbucks in 1999 for $8.1 million. Under Starbucks, it became a packaged-tea brand sold through grocery, mass-market, and convenience channels, as well as in formats such as K-Cup pods and bottled ready-to-drink teas.
A common mix-up is Teavana: Starbucks retained Teavana and described it as the brand it wanted to emphasize. Tazo and Teavana were both associated with Starbucks, but only Tazo was the brand sold to Unilever in this transaction.