Bud Light is no longer America’s king of beer. That honor now belongs to the Mexican beer Modelo Especial, according to a Bump Williams Consulting analysis of data collected by Nielsen.
Modelo reportedly controlled 8.4% of retail sales in May, while Bud Light fell to 7.3%. The report doesn’t include bar and restaurant sales, which are difficult to tabulate.
Bud Light had been the bestselling brew nationwide since 2001. However, the brand drew ire from conservatives, who began calling for a boycott in April after Bud Light teamed up with transgender social media star Dylan Mulvaney. The marketing effort featured the 26-year-old influencer’s image on a special-edition aluminum can.
Bump Williams’ vice president of analytics Dave Williams said Bud Light’s U.S. retail sales were down 24% while Modelo Especial sales were up 12% in the week ending June 3, according to the Associated Press. But he believes Bud Light could steal back that crown before 2023 ends as the brand’s 9% year-to-date market share is still a point higher than that of Modelo and its sales volumes are higher.
“For the year, Bud Light remains the number one brand in the U.S. nationally in volume and dollar sales,” a representative from Bud Light’s parent company Anheuser-Busch told the AP.
While many right-wing influencers celebrated Bud Light’s losses following its support of the LGBTQ+ community, Donald Trump Jr. called on conservatives to look at the bigger picture.
“We looked into the political giving and lobbying history of Anheuser-Busch and guess what? They actually support Republicans,” he said on an April podcast.
Businesses including Target and the Walt Disney Company have also been targeted by conservatives over their advocacy for the LGBTQ+ community.