Beer industry ‘in shock’ that Bud Light backlash continues as expert warns of supply shortages of rival lagers

Posted 13 days ago

From WWW.FOXNEWS.COM

The entire beer industry is floored that Bud Light is still taking heat over its now-infamous promo with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and the backlash has put rival beers in high demand, according to the publisher of prominent trade publication Beer Business Daily.

"The whole industry is in shock. Even Bud's competitors aren't really dancing on the grave because they know it could have happened to them," Beer Business Daily editor and publisher Harry Schuhmacher told Fox News Digital.

"This particular promotion just really struck a chord. It was just a bridge too far, apparently, for consumers… we’re in week six and it doesn't look like it's getting any better," he continued. "In fact, the numbers just keep getting a little worse every week… down in the 25% area. And their competitors are up almost just as much, and that's continuing through today."

Schuhmacher, who regularly speaks to beer distributors across North America, believes newfound demand for light lagers that aren’t owned by Anheuser-Busch could result in a trickle-down effect on the industry. Molson Coors, the parent company of both Coors Light and Miller Lite, might not even be able to supply enough beer as Americans enter a holiday weekend that unofficially kicks off the start of summer.

"You can't just flip a switch and make beer. You know, beer is brewed. It takes, you know, at least a couple of weeks to make. So, they haven't had major supply issues yet, but we're about to hit Memorial Day and we could probably see some supply shortages there," Schuhmacher said.

Molson Coors did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A company insider told Fox News Digital that there are no "out-of-stock concerns" ahead of Memorial Day Weekend because inventory was built up over the winter.

Schuhmacher explained that Anheuser-Busch has begun buying back unsold, expired beer from distributors, which brings much relief as those are the people who normally bear the brunt of the costs when a product isn’t purchased. While it’s a step in the right direction, distributors who rely on Americans purchasing Bud Light will continue to suffer.

"The sales are just still plummeting down," he said.

"Keep in mind, this is the beginning of the beer-selling season. We sell beer in the third quarter, and we're about to hit Memorial Day," Schuhmacher continued. "With these trends, it's starting to be material for AB's bottom line, at least in the United States and North America."

Schuhmacher feels that Anheuser-Busch’s parent company, InBev, has kept a low profile during the weeks-long saga wile hoping it "blows over" while simultaneously increasing the marketing budget and offering heavy discounts at retail.... (Read more)












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