Over the past four months, the massive boycott against Bud Light has demonstrated perhaps the biggest marketing case study of a brand that spit in the face of its customers. It would take a novel to document all of the bad news the beer has received over the past quarter as endless headlines have chronicled the plummeting share price of Anheuser-Busch, tanking sales week-over-week, and testimony from customers who claim they will never return to the beer.
However, according to recent data on demand at restaurants and bars, Bud Light just received even more bad news. According to a recent report from Newsweek titled, “Bud Light’s Popularity Has Collapsed in Bars,” sales data from software that tracks beer orders indicates demand for the woke beer in the restaurant and bar industry has plummeted. Bud Light went from being the number-one beer in the space to fourth place, not even in the top three beverages.
The report detailed, “The Anheuser-Busch brand was previously the No 1 beer sold in the 1,100 “high-volume venues” that use Union’s platform. But in the second quarter of 2023, from April to June, Bud Light was outsold by Miller Lite, Michelob Ultra and Coors Light.” The article further details that Bud Light sales fell the most in conservative red states such as South Carolina, North Carolina, and Texas. Unsurprisingly, California had the least impact on Bud Light’s tanking sales.
Of course, losing a first-place title is nothing new for Bud Light at this point. The American Tribune recently reported how Modelo Especial outsold Bud Light, remaining the best-selling beer in America for the second consecutive month. Modelo unseated Bud Light as the top-selling beer earlier this year, stealing a title held by the beer for over two decades since 2001.
According to a report by Fox Business, “The most recent data shows that Modelo Especial saw an 11.4% increase in dollar sales and a 5.7% increase in volume in the week ending July 1. Over that same time, Bud Light saw a 28.5% decline in sales dollars and a 32% dip in volume, the data showed.” Based on the data, Modelo Especial is generating more dollar sales than any other beer in America.
However, despite Modelo Especial outselling Bud Light on a weekly and monthly basis, Bud Light still remains the best-selling beer in the country year-to-date. The Dylan Mulvaney controversy has only been priced in for a little over a single financial quarter, where Bud Light was operating under normal conditions prior to April.
However, if trends persist, Bud Light could very easily be outsold by Modelo on an annualized basis. Especially, considering that sales declines have hardly improved for Bud Light during the peak demand of summer, particularly the 4th of July, which is known for heightened beer sales. The American Tribune also reported how Bud Light’s 4th of July sales declined massively, seeing no sign of improvement during the week of the holiday.
CEO of Bump Williams Consulting, Bump Williams, said, “If Bud Light continues its double-digit declines for the balance of 2023 and Modelo Especial continues to grow at 10% or greater for the balance of the calendar year, then it’s probable that Modelo Especial surpasses Bud Light as the No. 1 selling beer in America on a calendar basis.”
"*" indicates required fields