Woman calls out Tropicana for very sneaky apple juice trick and claims drinks brand owes her money
A TikTok user has accused Tropicana of shrinkflation as she claimed the juice brand owes her '17 cents of apple juice.'
The woman named Paige alleges Tropicana has reduced the size of its 12-ounce apple juice bottles to just 11 ounces - while keeping the $1.99 price tag the same.
She added that the firm has sneakily changed the lid of its bottles in an apparent attempt to stop customers noticing.
In a now-viral TikTok, Paige - who says in the video she is autistic - compares the sizes of the two bottles side by side.
She said: 'I go to the grocery store and think, "Oh they changed the top - maybe there's less plastic in it, and that's great. But then, I picked it up, and immediately I knew something was incorrect.
Paige revealed in a TikTok video that she noticed possible issues with Tropicana Apple Juice bottles after she claimed their 11-ounce and 12-ounce servings were the same price
'Tropicana wasn't banking on my spicy, autistic brain. I knew immediately. I didn't even have to look at the label.
She compares the two bottles and says: 'Same price.'
The video - posted July 16 - has received over 5,400 comments from outraged customers.
Paige, who goes by the username @rawr_its_paige, also claimed the caloric content of each drink didn't add up.
The 11-ounce apple juice bottle was 160 calories, while the 12-ounce was 170.
She added: 'Don't charge me $1.99 for 12 ounces and also $1.99 for 11 ounces. That's not how things work,' Paige said.
'You thought you could pull this one over on us, but no, you didn't bank on Paige.'
Anthony Rossi founded Tropicana in Florida in 1947, according to the company's website
Today, all Tropicana drinks are ranked number three in the list of the most popular beverages, according to YouGov.
It is not the first time the company has been accused of shrinkflation - the process of shrinking product size without changing its price.
Tropicana shrunk package sizes multiple times between 2010 and 2018.
This issue could be compared to the Listerine Fresh Burst mouthwash shrinkage after its bottles shrunk 17 percent.
After the 2022 new packaging failure and loss of sales, it bounced back with a 'new brand identity' and packaging earlier this year.
Paige angrily claimed she didn't need to look at the label to know something seemingly wasn't right with the Tropicana Apple Juice products
Commenters insisted they would be 'switching brands,' and one person wrote that the supposed price difference is 'unacceptable,'
'@Tropicana step into the room bestie and answer these questions,' a TikTok user wrote.
Others believed this issue results from the more common business method of shrinkflation.
'Shrinkflation - so much stuff I buy is shrinking, and some of it is shrinking and getting more expensive,' wrote a commenter.
Another TikToker wrote: 'All the companies are making packages smaller. A half gallon no longer exists.'
A Tropicana spokeswoman told DailyMail.com: 'At Tropicana, the consumer is always at the center of our decision making. 'Because of that, we are redesigning our packaging 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.'
The spokesperson added: 'With that, similar to many companies in today’s economy, we are not immune to the realities of inflation and increased costs, particularly across the orange juice category which is well documented to be struggling. To help offset these pressures, we are not transitioning the price of our single serve Tropicana products.'
'However, amidst these challenges we are proud that we have not increased our prices on orange juice over the last year, and through these new packaging changes are not only acting on a known opportunity to better satisfy our consumers but also offering lower priced multi-serve products, including both a lower total price and decreased price per ounce.'
