More On: Bud Light
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Pushing the transgender agenda might not be the best idea for the radical left as they head into the 2024 presidential election, as Bud Light sales in the west of swing state Pennsylvania are still waning due to the ongoing boycott after its national controversy, wading into the world of woke.
Bud Light jumped into the social justice foray after partnering with transgender TikTok star Dylan Mulvaney — a former gay man who now claims to be a woman. In a post to his 1.8 million followers last month, Mulvaney revealed Bud Light sent him a can with his face on it to celebrate his “day 365 of womanhood,” sparking backlash as top conservatives lamented yet another company bowing to wokeism.
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After roughly two weeks of debate, Anheuser-Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth issued a mea culpa of sorts, asserting that the company “never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people.”
“We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer,” Whitworth’s statement read in part.
“My time serving this country taught me the importance of accountability and the values upon which America was founded: freedom, hard work and respect for one another,” he continued, contending he is focused on “building and protecting our remarkable history and heritage.”
“I spend much of my time traveling across America, listening to and learning from our customers, distributors, and others,” Whitworth added. “Moving forward, I will continue to work tirelessly to bring great beers to consumers across our nation.”
— Anheuser-Busch (@AnheuserBusch) April 14, 2023
While conservatives — including Donald Trump Jr. and Charlie Kirk — pointed out that Anheuser-Busch actually has a history of donating to conservative causes and supporting some Republicans, such as Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) in the last election cycle, Bud Light sales have reportedly continued to drop.
According to reports, the boycott has resulted in a major cut in Bud Light sales among Pittsburgh-area beer distributors. According to TribLive, Myrna’s Brewery Outlet, for example, typically sold 200 cases of Bud Light per week. That figure dropped to 40 cases last week.
Keith Brancato, a manager at Myrna’s Brewery Outlet, explained that overall sales have not dropped, but Bud Light sales, specifically, are “way down.”
“Some people make comments about the controversy when they check out, and there are others who I know are regular Bud Light drinkers who are buying something else,” Brancato said, according to the outlet.
That Bud Light boycott (over the transgender pitch) seems to be having an effect on sales of the suds. But outlets aren't feeling the effects.https://t.co/aJmEPlbNGR
— TribLIVE.com (@TribLIVE) May 3, 2023
The outlet also spoke to Beer, Bets & Butts’ Jim Stunja of in North Huntingdon, who said the decrease in Bud Light sales is certainly “noticeable.”
“People are switching beers, not switching to wine or liquor. So business overall isn’t being affected very much,” he said, noting that some customers come into the premises equipped with a list of what not to buy.
“They go down the list and say, ‘Anheuser-Busch owns this,’ and then they buy stuff that Anheuser-Busch doesn’t own,” he explained.
According to the outlet, other beer distributors are experiencing the same phenomenon. They are not necessarily losing sales. Customers are simply choosing other beers.
“Our Bud Light sales are down by half,” Allegheny Beverage’s Tyler Wray said. “We’ve had people say they’ll never buy that beer again. But then some of them turn around and grab a case of something made by the same company.”
Beer on Butler’s Kway Jackson explained that “the owner usually orders a pallet (79 cases) every two weeks,” noting that they did not go through a single pallet last month.
Bud Light sales have continued to drop following the controversy. Its in-store sales dropped over 26 percent in the week ending April 22, according to data from Bump Williams Consulting.
