Bud Light distributors no longer expect sales to recover from Dylan Mulvaney disaster

Published

2 years ago

August 3, 2023

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Many Anheuser-Busch distributors say they are resigned to their painful Bud Light losses — and that they have given up on luring back disaffected customers following the Dylan Mulvaney fiasco, The Post has learned.

After four months of hiring freezes and layoffs — with some beer truck drivers getting heckled and harassed even as Bud Light sales have dropped by more than 25% — Anheuser-Busch wholesalers have accepted that they have lost a chunk of their customers for good — and need to focus on a new crop of drinkers.

Consumers have made a choice,” said an executive at a Texas-based beer distributor who did not want to be identified. “They have left [Bud Light] and thats how its going to be. I dont envision a big percentage of them coming back.

Sales of other Anheuser-Busch beers including Budweiser, Michelob Ultra and Busch Light also have been in decline since Bud Lights marketing tie-up with transgender influencer Mulvaney.

Whats more, those lost customers have likely found that Bud Lights competitors, including Coors Light and Miller Lite, are a very similar product.

Winning the beer wars comes down to whoever is best at marketing, the executive said.

“There is an increasing feeling that this [Bud Light] decline rate could last for a while and the distributors are worried about losing those drinkers to other similar brands,” David Steinmann, executive editor of Beer Marketers Insights, told The Post.

A pair of social media posts by Mulvaney on April 1 — holding a 16-ounce can of Bud Light with her image on it and another of her sitting in a bubble bath surrounded by Bud Light cans — sparked a backlash that has lasted longer than most anticipated.

The strategy of targeting younger, newer consumers is the right one, Michael Stone, chairman of Beanstalk Group, a New York-based branding firm, told The Post. But Anheuser-Busch made a mistake executing on the strategy.

One silver lining for beleaguered Anheuser-Busch distributors is the rise of Modelo Especial — the No. 2 beer brand, which Anheuser-Busch owns outside of the US.

Rival Constellation Brands distributes Modelo in the US, where it has been outselling Bud Light on a weekly basis since May.

Whats helping distributors is having Modelo in their portfolio, the beer executive said. But if you dont have Constellation, you are in a pickle.

While Bud Light remains the No. 1 beer brand in the US, those days are likely numbered, with Modelo expected to overtake it by the end of August, experts say.

Even before the Mulvaney disaster, beer suppliers have been fighting a broader crisis.

Beer has long been the No. 1 alcoholic drink in the world and the beverage of choice for new drinkers, but just last year, spirits surpassed beer for the first time ever in the US.

Hard liquor accounted for 42.1% market share in 2022 compared to beers 41.9% market share, according to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States.

The increasing popularity of ready-to-drink cocktails is fueling the trend away from beer.

In response, breweries are partnering with spirits companies that are making canned cocktails.

Those include Cutwater Spirits, which Anheuser-Busch bought in 2019. The craft distillery is now part of Anheusers Beyond Beer.

Beer distributors and suppliers want to win over so-called “legal age drinkers,” before they acquire a taste for other alcoholic beverages.

There are so many different options for coming-of-age drinkers today, the beer executive said.

Sports

Sovereignty rallies to win Jim Dandy at Saratoga

Published

1 hour ago

July 27, 2025

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Sovereignty rallies to win Jim Dandy at Saratoga

Associated Press

Jul 26, 2025, 09:52 PM ET

SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. — Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes champion Sovereignty rallied after losing position heading into the final turn to win the $500,000 Jim Dandy by a length at Saratoga on Saturday.

Ridden by Junior Alvarado, Sovereignty ran nine furlongs in 1:49.52 and paid $3 to win as the 1-2 favorite against four rivals, the smallest field of his career.

Hall of Fame trainer Bill Mott said Sovereignty would be pointed toward the $1.25 million Travers on Aug. 23 at the upstate New York track.

Approaching the turn, there were a few tense moments as it appeared Sovereignty was retreating when losing position to the advancing Baeza and deep closers Sandman and Hill Road, leaving Sovereignty in last for a few strides.

Alvarado said he never had a doubt that Sovereignty would come up with his expected run.

“It was everybody else moving and at that time I was just like, ‘Alright let me now kind of start picking it up,'” Alvarado said. “I had 100% confidence. I knew what I had underneath me.”

Baeza, third to Sovereignty in both the Derby and Belmont, finished second. Hill Road was another 9¼ lengths back in third. Mo Plex was fourth and Sandman fifth.

UK

Man suffers cardiac arrest onboard boat trying to reach UK

Published

2 hours ago

July 27, 2025

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Man suffers cardiac arrest onboard boat trying to reach UK

A man has died after suffering cardiac arrest onboard a boat attempting to reach the UK.

The vessel turned back towards Equihen beach on the French coast yesterday morning.

A nurse tried to resuscitate the man but was unsuccessful.

French authorities have now launched an investigation into the circumstances.

A spokesperson for Doctors Without Borders, also known as MSF, has criticised authorities on both sides of the Channel.

Jacob Burns said: “Yet again we have a tragedy in the Channel, that is the consequence of the deadly, costly and ineffective security policies implemented by the UK and France.”

Later on Saturday, a lifeboat carried migrants who have made the voyage into the Port of Dover.

Photographs showed them huddled under blankets and orange life jackets on board.

Provisional statistics from the Home Office suggest almost 24,000 people have arrived on small boats in the UK so far this year.

Towns and cities across the UK have seen protests in recent days, primarily outside hotels believed to be housing asylum seekers.

US

Michigan: 11 people stabbed in US supermarket – with six in critical condition

Published

3 hours ago

July 27, 2025

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Michigan: 11 people stabbed in US supermarket - with six in critical condition

At least 11 people have been stabbed at a Walmart supermarket in Michigan, with six in a critical condition.

Officials say a suspect is in custody – and at this stage, it is believed the attack was a “random act” that involved a folding-style knife near the checkout area.

Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters: “Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more.”

The suspect, who is from Michigan, is not known to police – and was captured within three minutes thanks to “citizen involvement”.

The attack unfolded in Traverse City – and Tiffany DeFell, who was in the car park at the time, described scenes of chaos.

“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies.”

Beyond the six people in a critical condition, it is believed the remaining five were seriously hurt. All 11 are still being treated in hospital.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”

A Walmart spokesperson added that the retailer is working closely with law enforcement.

“Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders,” a statement said.