Consumer backlash against Bud Light knocks AB InBev US sales
The brewer has been hit by a boycott of Bud Light among rightwing Americans after the brand partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
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Your support makes all the difference.Stella Artois and Budweiser maker AB InBev has announced a slump in sales across North America after being hit by a rightwing consumer boycott of Bud Light over the brand’s partnership with a transgender influencer.
The world’s largest brewer, AB InBev, said that North American revenues slumped 10.5% in the three months to June 30, with sales to retailers and wholesalers down 14% and 15% respectively “primarily due to the volume decline of Bud Light”.
AB InBev has been hit by a backlash among rightwing Americans against the Bud Light brand since April after transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney promoted the beer on social media.
Bud Light lost its spot as the top-selling US beer as a result, with Constellation Brands’ Mexican lager Modelo Especial overtaking it to take pole position in June.
Since April, we actively engaged with over 170 000 consumers across the country through a third-party research firm and the data shows that most consumers surveyed are favourable towards the Bud Light brand and approximately 80% are favourable or neutral
AB InBev said the impact saw its total share of the US beer market fall over the quarter.
But it added: “Since April, we actively engaged with over 170 000 consumers across the country through a third-party research firm and the data shows that most consumers surveyed are favourable towards the Bud Light brand and approximately 80% are favourable or neutral.”
Overall, AB InBev, which also makes Corona and Leffe, offset the Bud Light hit to its US arm to increase second quarter revenues by 7.2% thanks to price rises and a switch to premium tipples.
This helped counter a 1.4% fall in sales by volume across the group, weighed on by the US Bud Light boycott.
Pre-tax profits rose 3.5% to 3.8 billion US dollars (£3 billion) for the first half of 2023, up from 3.7 billion US dollars (£2.9 billion) a year earlier.
Across Europe and including the UK, it said half-year sales by volume fell by “low single digits” but pricing and trend for trading-up to more expensive brands helped drive double-digit revenues growth.
It said “premium and super premium brands delivered double-digit revenue growth this quarter, led by Corona and Budweiser”.