A steep decline in Bud Light sales in April has conservatives touting victory in boycott
A new study by an agency that reports on the alcohol beverage industry found that sales of Bud Light dropped 26% the week of April 22.
First reported by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bump Williams Consulting said that the decline of in-store sales of Bud Light was actually growing. Two weeks prior, sales were down 11%. The week after, 21%.
The drop in purchases comes in the wake of right-wing efforts to boycott one of Anheuser-Busch's signature brands after it offered a commemorative can to trans influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The small influencer package sparked outsized outrage from conservatives, who have been pushing against any increase in transgender rights and recognition, making it a lynchpin of their politics heading into the 2024 election.
Numerous far-right luminaries immediately pledged to never buy or drink Bud Light. However, the backlash against the brand hasn't been entirely adopted by the party, causing a schism when people like Donald Trump Jr. called the effort misguided. Trump Jr. highlighted that Anheuser-Busch was a legacy American brand that donated to Republican causes and called for an end to the boycott.
Others questioned the efficacy of brand boycotts, which often don't have lasting effects. But it appears the Bud Light effort among rank-and-file conservatives has taken hold.
Anti-trans poster Matt Walsh, who was adamant about boycotting Bud Light, called it "easily the most effective conservative boycott in modern American history" while sharing the report about decreasing sales.
Walsh also noted how the efforts bucked the opinion of prominent conservatives like Trump Jr.
"The great thing is that this was completely grassroots. Many prominent Republicans were actively against the boycott," he added.
"BUD LIGHT SALES FALL A JAW DROPPING 26%!! Wow, imagine if conservatives could come together and VOTE like this?" added Tomi Lahren, also noting the split in the party.
According to the report, Bud Light sales are down 8% on the year. The study also speculated there might be a halo effect, causing a decline in sales of other Anheuser-Busch brands, like Michelob Ultra.
Recent viral videos are also trying to highlight the boycott, with people pointing to unsold Bud Light and Anheuser-Busch products at stores, which people claimed were going unpurchased, especially when compared to Miller and Coors products.
"Absolutely insane. The Bud Light boycott is working," wrote one conservative influencer.
However, some noted that Anheuser-Busch's stock has since rebounded from its decline last month.
But, as mentioned in the Bump Williams study, it is beer distributors, who have already purchased Bud Light and are seeing it go unsold, who are taking the brunt of the boycott, despite not having any affiliations with Anheuser-Busch.
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