Singapore-based upscale tea merchant TWG is the newest luxury retailer to choose Vancouver for its regional flagship store.

TWG Tea, which launched in 2008, said it will open the store — the tea merchant’s flagship North American location — in downtown Vancouver on Dec. 1.

Officials said it chose Vancouver after carefully vetting the city’s affinity for upscale tea, noting the region’s large Asian community and B.C.’s appreciation of niche, artisanal beverages.

“Launching in North America is a key component of the company’s global expansion strategy, particularly since the continent is showing a rising thirst for the coveted commodity,” a statement from TWG said, noting tea sales in Canada totalled $1.3 billion last year and consumption is expected to grow an additional 40 per cent in four years.

“North American consumers are also willing to pay more for premium teas, including organic and luxury brands, due to their high quality standards.”

In recent years, brands like diamond giant DeBeers have made Vancouver their flagship Canadian location, while others like Tiffany & Co., Prada and Rolex have either entered or expanded.

“It’s international and hyper-local at the same time,”said Susan Ma, head of education at the Dr. Sun Yat-sen Classical Chinese Garden, of the city’s growing fascination with tea.

Retail analysts cited the high spending power of local and foreign consumers alike, ranking downtown Vancouver as the country’s most sought-after luxury retail market. Many upscale stores congregate on Alberni Street; The TWG Salon and Retail Boutique will take over The Urban Tea Merchant’s space close by, at 1070 W. Georgia St.

But there is an additional element beyond simple consumer spending figures when it comes to tea, said industry enthusiasts. “I think I may be a little biased here because I am not a coffee drinker, which in itself is a bit of a sacrilege here in the Pacific Northwest,” said Ma. “But we’ve always felt there’s an undercurrent of tea enthusiasts here, and it really came forth in a big way in 2013.”

Since 2013, the garden in Chinatown has been hosting an annual Vancouver Tea Festival, with the event taking a hiatus in 2014 after attendance outmatched the facilities holding the festival. Ma noted that Vancouver mixes both the deep history of tea in the Asian communities — Chinese and Japanese, in particular — as well as the British colonial heritage of tea appreciation. In recent years, a tea farm located in the Cowichan Valley became the first Canadian producer, with the first harvest this summer selling out quickly.