Tea Collection

By H. Grousbeck, Joshua Spitzer
2006 | Case No. E227
“Tea Collection” presents several dilemmas faced by Leigh Rawdon, Tea Collection’s co-founder and CEO. Rawdon and two partners launched the company in 2002 to design and sell what she calls “lifestyle products that celebrate the beauty of cultures around the world.” Up to the time of the case (mid-2006), the company designed and sold children’s apparel, though it aimed to diversify and expand into other product lines. Rawdon must manage a valued employee whose personal life is interfering with her performance at Tea Collection. Additionally, the company and Rawdon need to address a channel conflict that arose as the company launched its direct-to-consumer e-commerce website, which upset its retailer customers.
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