Bud Light loses its top spot in beer sales: The Budweiser brand is no longer no. 1 in America
Modelo has pushed Bud Light off the top spot in US beer sales. The Mexican lager seized the position from the brand that held it for more than 20 years.
The troubles of Bud Light are far from over. The brand has just been unseated by Modelo Especial as the best-selling beer in the United States for the month of May.
The Anheuser-Busch brand fell 24.4% for four weeks ending on June 3, and captured only 7.3% of retail beer sales in the country for the period. Meanwhile, Modelo sales surged by 12.2%, ending with a total of 8.4% of the market share, which propelled it to first place.
The two beverages’ year-on-year performance in May also showed a big discrepancy, according to research firm Circana. Bud Light sales plummeted 23% to $297 million, while Modelo sales leapt 15% to $333 million.
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Modelo on the rise
Constellation Brands brews Modelo Especial, a pilsner-style lager that was born almost a hundred years ago in Mexico. Company executives say that Modelo has had a great amount of success in the past few years, and that they want to replicate their control of the Hispanic market in other demographics.
Rounding out the top-selling beer brands in the US for the month of May are Michelob Ultra ($268 million), Coors Light ($241 million), and Miller Lite ($216.4 million).
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Bud Light enrages conservatives, then angers progressives
Bud Light’s numbers continue to plunge after a post by transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney of a custom-made can that the company had sent her sparked a backlash from conservative drinkers.
The marketing disaster ended with conservatives calling for a boycott of the popular beer. The company then attempted to distance itself from the promotion campaign, causing further backlash from LGBTQ+ advocates. Some bars that support the community have pulled out all products of the Anheuser-Busch family.