Not that we’d ever suggest panic buying (looking at you, toilet paper shortage of 2020), but it might be time to start stocking up on your favorite bottles of Tropicana. The big-name orange juice producer has been a staple on breakfast tables since 1947, but they are now predicted to head for bankruptcy, according to a report from CNN. A perfect storm of declining sales, a disease running rampant through orange groves, and consumer desires for sugar-free beverages have put an unfortunate strain on the brand, forcing it to re-evaluate production.
Over the decades, Tropicana found its way into the hearts of citrus lovers everywhere, providing fresh-tasting orange juice to millions, but recent years have demonstrated that demands have changed. The brand’s income reportedly dropped by 10% last quarter, while its revenue dropped 4%, a staggering amount of decline in a short measure of time. PAI Partners, the company that assumed ownership of Tropicana in the 1980s from PepsiCo, recently shelled out $30 million in an “emergency loan”, further feeding the rumor mill that Tropicana orange juices might soon start disappearing from store shelves.
Hurricanes, crop disease, sugar-shunners – oh my!
Tropicana receives a majority of its oranges from Florida, the state that grows the most oranges in the country. In the last few years, Florida has been battered by hurricanes that not only devastated human lives but the lives of crops, too. When Hurricane Milton wreaked havoc on the west coast of Florida in 2024, it destroyed about 70% of the citrus groves in the state. Citrus greening disease also ravaged a significant portion of Florida’s citrus crops, causing the plants to produce fewer and more acidic oranges, while also leaving the groves more susceptible to damages from major storms. In the past two decades, Florida’s production of healthy, usable citruses has dropped by over 90%.
For decades, Tropicana has worked with harvesters to cultivate millions of citruses, but earlier this year Alico (one of Tropicana’s biggest citrus suppliers) closed its doors in the Sunshine State, putting an even bigger strain on Tropicana. On top of environmental factors, it appears that consumers are simply less interested in “sugary” orange juices, preferring pressed juices and “healthier” options instead. Despite Tropicana’s attempts at reviving the brand, profits are still low, which could ultimately lead to bankruptcy. If Tropicana disappears, so might Naked Juice, since it’s owned by the Tropicana Brands Group. Again, we’re not encouraging panic buying, but we’re also not saying it’s a bad idea in this particular circumstance.
