The newest data on Bud Light confirms that the boycott of the beer is continuing at an aggressive pace when comparing sales figures to the same time last year. The boycott is now in its third month since the controversy unfolded in early April when Bud Light partnered with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The sales data for the week ending June 3 shows Bud Light sales declined approximately 24.4 percent compared to the same time frame in 2022. Furthermore, the four-week period ending June 3 saw sales tank roughly 24.6 percent compared to last year. The week-over-week decline in Bud Light sales has been consistently north of 20 percent, and as we begin the third month of the boycott, there is little sign of Bud Light recovering.
Year-to-date, Bud Light sales are down 9.5 percent, while the boycott has also impacted other Anheuser-Busch brands. For example, Budweiser has seen a decline in sales of 7.8 percent in the week ending June 3 and a 9.2 percent drop in the four weeks ending June 3. Notably, competitors of Bud Light are gaining market share that Anheuser-Busch products are actively losing from the boycott.
Modelo Especial sales have shot up 8.5 percent year-to-date and have seen a 12.2 percent increase in the week ending June 3. Modelo also saw a 10.2 percent increase in the four weeks ending June 3. Moreover, Coors Light and Miller Lite collectively saw increased sales of 21 percent in the week ending June 3 and 24.4 percent in the four weeks ending June 3.
Modelo Especial recently made headlines by dethroning Bud Light of its status as the best-sell ing beer in America. In the week ending May 28, reports indicate that Modelo outsold Bud Light by approximately $40 million. Furthermore, Modelo Especial saw in-store sales increase by 15.6 percent compared to last year, equating to $333 million in sales for the four weeks. Bud Light sales tanked by 22.8 percent in the same time frame, resting at $297 million.
However, The American Tribune recently reported that Bud Light is still this year’s top-selling beer. Bud Light still controls 9 percent of the total beer market, whereas Model has roughly 8 percent. The gap in market share between the two beers is approximately $100 million, according to reports. Although, if Modelo continues to outsell Bud Light during these weekly periods for the foreseeable future, it could feasibly overtake Bud Light in market share.
There has also been speculation about how long the Bud Light boycott will last, given that it is entering its third month. Typically, online controversies with consumer brands will blow over relatively quickly. However, recent research indicates that some beer industry experts predict that the boycott of Bud Light could be permanent. Reportedly, one survey found that 65 percent of beer distributors anticipate the boycott to last at least another six months. At the same time, almost a third of the participants expected it could be permanent. One financial analyst commented that Bud Light could take a “permanent 15 percent haircut” regarding its sales of Bud Light.
The massive boycott has been a raging success for conservatives who want to send a message to corporate America to stay out of politics. However, even after Bud Light has faced such disastrous consequences, some large companies continue doubling down on their woke initiatives.
