Tropicana Responds to Backlash Over Bottle Redesign: 'These Types of Changes Can Take Time'

The juice brand recently traded its longtime carafe style and crown cap to a more standard bottle shape

Tropicana has responded to the backlash following its bottle redesign.

The clear carafe design and crown cap, introduced in 2011, has since become synonymous with the juice brand. Earlier this year, Tropicana introduced a shape that was intended to be more user-friendly and environmentally conscious, but the change has garnered mixed reactions.

The juice brand told PEOPLE that the new design change came in direct response to customer feedback.

"This includes changing the shape of our bottle so it's easier to pour and store as well as upgrading to a more streamlined and sustainable cap made with less plastic that's easier to open," a Tropicana Brands Group spokesperson wrote in the statement to PEOPLE, adding that "these types of changes can take time."

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Consumers are upset over the change for a variety of reasons. Some miss the iconic shape — the carafe supports the image of fresh juice at the breakfast table, said Peter Clarke, the founder of packaging design firm Product Ventures.

“The problem with the new one is it doesn’t have any distinctive characters,” Clarke told CNN. “It’s no longer meaningful. It’s ubiquitous. It’s more of a generic structure.”

Others suspect "shrinkflation," or companies charging higher prices for less actual product. Longtime consumers have alleged that their favorite juice brand is the latest to subscribe to the trend.

But Tropicana may not be at fault for the price discrepancy. While Tropicana says it suggested a lower price point for the new design — 46 ounces for $3.99, versus the old 52 ounces for $4.69 — not all retailers have changed the price alongside the product.

According to data CNN obtained from market research firm Circana, Tropicana’s sales dropped 8.3% from the previous year in July. Sales then dropped 10.9% in August, and 19% by October.

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Before its carafe shape, Tropicana juice came in a carton with an image of an orange with a straw sticking out of it. The company faced similar backlash in 2009 when the design was replaced by a simple — overly minimalist, some say — glass of orange juice.

Just six weeks after introducing the new design, at the overwhelming demand from loyal customers, Tropicana reverted to the classic. But another return to an old design does not seem likely this time.

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In its statement to PEOPLE, Tropicana said recent data shows sales returning to normal levels, and added that the brand has received positive feedback on consumers' experience with the new design.

"We are continuing to do what we can to further help shoppers get accustomed to our new look," Tropicana said.