Los Angeles-based retailer and tea shop Alfred Tea is planning a major expansion in Asia.

There are two Alfred Tea shops in Los Angeles and two in Tokyo, recently opened in Barneys New York as a “different unique approach to the experience of shopping at Barneys”, according to executive VP of marketing and communications Tomm Miller.

“There’s a customer who comes to the store to spend hours and hours. This has an entertainment value. It’s another way to keep them in the store. The installation itself is a social moment”, she added.

The brand has released little detail about its Asian plans other than that it is seeking to open outposts in Hong Kong and Mainland China as a first step.

The New York Alfred tea shop features a distinctive look, decked in pink tiles and bearing the legend, “Tea, yes. You, maybe” in neon.

CEO Josh Zad said: “I realised we were doing a certain number of teas in the coffee shop. I created a footprint for a modern tea room. Tea has an image issue, so we dressed it up in pink tile from head to toe and neon. People realise it’s not stodgy.”