Tropicana’s bottle redesign has customers questioning if the juice is really worth the squeeze

The fresh new Tropicana bottle has customers questioning their loyalty.
Customers are frustrated as Tropicana orange juice has replaced its iconic clear, circular plastic bottle with a thin neck and crown-like cap with a more traditional-looking plastic bottle, reducing the size from 52 ounces to 46 ounces.
“‘The consumer is always at the center of our decision-making,’ Tropicana said in a statement on its website. ‘Because of that, we redesigned our bottles to directly address their concerns around ease of opening, ease of handling, storage and desire for less plastic, as well as offering more affordable juice options,’” Per Fast Company.
All customers can think about is that Tropicana is ripping them off by selling OJ in smaller bottles. While Tropicana’s recommended price is supposedly lower, many retailers aren’t following the manufactures suggested retailed price, according to CNN.
Consumers aren’t buying it; now they’re accusing Tropicana of shrinkflation, charging more for less, according to Today.
Peter Clarke, the founder of packaging design firm Product Ventures, said the smaller bottles aren’t the only aspect of the rebranding under attack, as the new design lacks the fresh, inviting look of orange juice on your breakfast table, per People.
Clark told CNN, “The problem with the new one is it doesn’t have any distinctive characters. It’s no longer meaningful. It’s ubiquitous. It’s more of a generic structure.”
Following the branding announcement earlier this summer, commenters took to the juice’s social media posts to voice their complaints, saying:
“Less juice for the same or more $$$ yall think yall slick,” wrote an Instagram user.
Another Instagram user said, “Terrible decision. You have lost a huge advantage in-store. Your products no longer stand out on the shelf.”
Today reported, “‘Price gouging…I am more of a fan of Simply Lemonade..and all the other Simply juices,’ wrote one X user.”
If you’re feeling some déjà vu, the Tropicana Juice Company faced backlash in 2009 when the brand redesigned its orange juice packaging, removing the iconic image of a straw poking out of an orange.
According to CNN, “the backlash was swift” and the company lost $30 million.
The current uproar is reflected in data from market research firm Circana, which told CNN that Tropicana’s sales dropped 8.3% over the past year, including a 10.9% dip in August. By October, sales were down 19%, with the brand losing 4% of its market share to Simply Orange.