AriZona ice tea has been a staple of my family's road trip gas station pit stops for as long as I can remember. And for as long as I can remember, the tall, artfully designed cans of Mucho Mango and Green Tea with Ginseng and Honey have cost just 99 cents — to ensure consistency, that price is even emblazoned on the can (if an establishment dares attempt to sell AriZona ice tea for more than 99 cents, we politely take our business elsewhere). AriZona is one of few .
The price of its big cans has held steady at 99 cents for 30 years. The company keeps costs low by limiting spending on advertising (with a 99-cent price tag, you don't exactly need marketing), reducing the aluminum content of cans, and even driving delivery trucks at night to avoid traffic and save money on gas. A commitment to low prices 99 cents in 1992 (the year AriZona's first product became available) has the same buying power as $2.
23 in May 2024, according to the Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator. And frankly, most Americans would probably happily pay $2.25 for a tall can of iced tea in this economy — it seems like a fair price.
So why does AriZona keep its big cans priced at less than a dollar when it could easily get away with charging more than double that? The answer is simple: "I'm committed to that 99-cent price," AriZona founder and co-owner Don Vultaggio told the . With ever- , he added, "Consumers don't need another price increase from a guy like me." Keeping prices low for consumer me.
