The Touching Reason AriZona Teas Are Keeping Their 99-Cent Price Tag: See the Message From Founder
Whether you gravitate towards a classic tea or mix things up a little bit with a refreshing Arnold Palmer, no brand will give you a quality beverage — and a great price point — quite like AriZona. For only 99 cents, the 22 oz. cans are a must-buy, and the good news is you don’t have to worry about any price increases. Founder Don Vultaggio recently shared that the cost of the big cans will remain the same regardless of the shifting economy. Keep reading to see his message to consumers and learn about the new AriZona products.
AriZona Teas are keeping their 99-cent price tag
AriZona, known for its big cans in a variety of teas and juices, doesn’t plan to raise its beloved 99-cent prices. The price has remained the same since the company’s start 32 years ago, and Vultaggio isn’t looking to change that.
In a recent interview with NBC News’ Morning News NOW and Today, he said, “People say, ‘How do you do it?‘” His response: “We make it faster. We ship it better. We ship it closer. The cans are thinner.”
Vultaggio is happy to keep the prices as they are. He also doesn’t feel the need to spend money on big advertisements like other brands and prefers that people share their love of the beverages by word of mouth instead.
According to Forbes, his net worth is over $6 billion, which is why when he said in the interview, “We’re successful, we’re debt free, we own everything. Why have people who are having a hard time paying their rent pay more for their drink?”
The billionaire understands that the prices are bound to increase at some point, but for now, he’s ensuring that the beverage costs are here to stay. “I don’t know about never, [but] not in the foreseeable future,” he told TODAY of the low price. “We’re going to fight as hard as we can for consumers because consumers are my friend.”
The history of the AriZona Beverage Company
AriZona actually originated in New York and at the time it was Vultaggio’s way of competing with Snapple. He had been in the beverage industry since the ‘70s with a friend of his and focused on making alcoholic drinks.
The first can of AriZona was made in 1992, but it wasn’t always called that. In the interview, Vultaggio recalled naming it Santa Fe but didn’t like how it looked with the cans. “We had a house in Queens that looked like it belonged in Arizona, and that’s where the name came from.”
Vultaggio kept the business within the family. His wife, Eileen, designed the cans and picked the color scheme for the different flavors offered. From there, graphic designer Jean Patine got on board and drew up sketches that would eventually be used for the final products.
AriZona is more than tea
While the company is known for its teas and juices, it has greatly expanded into more products and merchandise.
The brand’s newest beverage option is a watermelon-flavored RX energy drink. Per AriZona’s website, it’s “the latest addition to AriZona’s award-winning ‘RX Energy Herbal Tonic’ line.” It is sold in the big can variety, has 130 mg of caffeine and is made with multiple vitamins and herbal ingredients.
Additionally, the name Santa Fe gets its time to shine after all for Arizona’s sparkling water items. These come in Orange Mango, Raspberry Lime, Pink Grapefruit and Lemon Citrus flavors and are half the size of the big cans.
The hard iced teas are also popular and you can find those in variety packs in stores as well. Arizona’s fruit snack line launched in 2020, plus the brand has plenty of merchandise available including clothing, hats, skateboards and accessories and glassware.
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