Bud Light Sales Dip, but It Remains Top-Selling Brew

Memorial Day week sales were down nearly 24% from 2022, but that's a mild improvement for the brand
By Steve Huff,  Newser Staff
Posted Jun 6, 2023 2:42 PM CDT
Bud Light Still No. 1 Despite Decline in Sales
Bottles of Bud Light beer are seen at a grocery store in Glenview, Ill.   (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Bud Light sales heading into to Memorial Day weekend were down by nearly 24% from 2022, reports CNN, but it remains America's best-selling beer. The Memorial Day week numbers marked a mild improvement over previous weeks, suggesting the brew has weathered the worst of the fallout from the right after its backing of trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney. Conservative protests aren't the only cause of the dip, however, as LGBTQIA+ groups objected to the muted way Anheuser-Busch responded to criticism. Forbes reports that some analysts believe Anheuser-Busch may see a "permanent" 15% decline in sales, but that this decline could also make it an attractive stock purchase.

CNN notes that Bud's diminished market dominance has been beneficial for its competitors, even if the Anheuser-Busch product remains top dog. Miller Light, owned by MolsonCoors, has seen a 26% sales boost, and Coors Light is up by 23%. Additionally, sales of Modelo Especial and Modelo Oro, a light beer, are up by almost 10 percent. Bud Light, however, led with 35% of the market, well ahead of No. 2 Coors Light at 22%. Forbes points out that similar backlash is hitting beyond Big Beer: After Target incorporated Pride Month into its advertising, its stock dropped by 17%. And Business Insider notes that Disney was hit with protests over its ongoing fight with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. (More Bud Light stories.)

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