Looks like patriotic cans haven’t saved Budweiser from declines in the US.
Sales of Budweiser and Bud Light keep falling in Anheuser-Busch InBev NV’s biggest market, and that’s taking a toll on the company’s results.
Sales Down
The world’s largest brewer sold 14.4 million barrels of Budweiser in the US last year – less than one third of the volume at the beer’s peak, in 1988, according to Beer Marketer’s Insights.
While Bud Light remained the most popular beer in the US by volume, at 35.2 million barrels, it was down 15% from its 2008 high.
Craft Beer
The Budweiser brand is growing elsewhere, but US drinkers are turning to craftier brews, made by smaller companies. Even America-first packaging, such as designs featuring military-inspired camouflage, hasn’t helped.
Hurricanes also hurt sales, but it’s hard to blame them for Bud’s long decline.
“It wasn’t just the weather,” said RBC analyst James Edwardes Jones.
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