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

The entire beer industry is amazed that Bud Light is continuing to lash out at its now infamous promotion with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney and the backlash has put rival beers in high demand, according to the publisher from leading 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,” said Harry Schuhmacher, editor and publisher of Beer Business Daily, at Fox News Digital.

“This particular promotion 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 are only getting a little bit worse each week…down about 25%. And their competitors are up almost as much, and that’s continuing to this day.”

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Schuhmacher, who speaks regularly with beer distributors across North America, thinks the new demand for light lagers that aren’t owned by Anheuser-Busch could have a ripple effect on the industry. Molson Coors, the parent company of Coors Light and Miller Lite, may not even be able to supply enough beer as Americans enter a holiday weekend that unofficially kicks off at 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 two weeks to make. So they haven’t had any problems with it yet. major supplies, but we’re about to hit Memorial Day and we could probably see 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 were no “out of stock issues” before Memorial Day weekend because inventory was built up over the winter.

Schuhmacher explained that Anheuser-Busch has started buying back unsold and expired beers from distributors, which brings a lot of relief because they are the people who normally bear the brunt of the costs when a product is not purchased. While this is a step in the right direction, distributors who rely on Americans to buy Bud Light will continue to suffer.

“Sales are still in freefall,” he said.

“Remember, this is the start of beer sales season. We’re selling beer in the third quarter and we’re about to hit Memorial Day,” Schuhmacher continued. “With these trends, it’s starting to matter to AB’s bottom line, at least in the US and North America.”

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Anheuser-Busch is taking action to help wholesalers who have taken a hit. (Kevin Liles/Getty Contributor)

Schuhmacher believes Anheuser-Busch parent company InBev has kept a low profile during the weeks-long saga hoping it will “blow up” while simultaneously increasing marketing budget and offering steep retail discounts. .

“Their experience tells them that you don’t want to add to the conversation and add to the noise, because that just repeats the news cycle,” he said. “Boycotts like this usually end…pretty quickly, in a couple of weeks or so. So it’s really unusual to last two months.”

Schuhmacher, who worked in the beer industry for more than three decades in multiple roles and published Beer Business Daily for 20 years, believes the backlash will eventually subside and Bud Light will stay on top despite scarring it. durable.

“I think there’s probably some degree of permanent brand damage. But in the long run, things usually go back to average,” he said.

The appetite for news and analysis of the Bud Light debacle is still strong, and Beer Business Daily, a niche publication that focuses on the North American commercial beer industry, has exploded in popularity.

“We haven’t really seen it since 2008 when Miller bought Coors, or they merged and InBev bought Anheuser-Busch. So, yeah, there’s huge interest in that and our website traffic is skyrocketing “Schuhmacher said. “It’s a story that won’t die.”

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As the Conservatives moved away from Bud Light, retail juggernaut Target found itself in a similar boat. Target has come under fire for exaggerated displays of LGBTQ pride, and the store has been widely criticized for including kid-friendly products and swimwear. Some targets in rural areas were forced by corporate executives to move Pride sections to less-trafficked areas of stores because executives feared a “Bud Light situation” was emerging, an insider previously told Reuters. Fox News Digital.

Schuhmacher understands why the beer giant has drawn more criticism so far.

“In the public psyche, Bud Light has always been seen as a deep American, Central American, working men’s and women’s beer. And when you flip that on its head, it’s hard for the consumer to swallow,” did he declare. .

“I think the difference, you know, Target is more geared towards women, middle-high-end American women,” Schuhmacher continued. “But Bud Light isn’t that far in the middle of the spectrum, at least in the mind of the consumer where it’s supposed to be.”

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