Americans Are Fighting Inflation by Buying Busch Light

CC0 / / British ale
British ale - Sputnik International, 1920, 08.07.2022
Subscribe
Busch Light was introduced in 1989, launching in Missouri, Illinois, and Texas. It quickly went nationwide and soon outsold its parent beer, Busch. At the time, it cost about $3.49 a six-pack.
With inflation near 40-year highs and gas prices still far above normal, sub-premium beer Busch Light is flying off the shelves.
Busch Light’s manufacturer, beer giant Anheuser-Busch (A-B), has had less than stellar years recently. The company’s flagship beers Budweiser and Budlight have been consistently shedding market share, but the company’s cheapest option Busch Light has been performing well, jumping 4% in sales over the last year. It is now among the top three fastest-growing beers in the country and is also the country’s best-selling sub-premium beer.
Meanwhile, Busch Light’s competitors Coors Light and Miller Light have, like Bud Light, seen their sales drop in recent years. Busch Light’s success cannot be entirely attributed to inflation; its sales have increased over the past three years, well before gas prices and inflation started pinching Americans’ wallets, but it is hard not to think it is a factor.
Harry Schuhmacher, editor of Beer Business Daily, told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that inflation and gas prices are undoubtedly contributing factors. He believes drinkers of premium light beers are likely switching to Busch Light to help make ends meet.
“If they’re living paycheck to paycheck, they’re definitely going to go that route,” Schumacher said.
It probably does not hurt that Busch Light makes a significant percentage of its sales at gas stations, where consumers are particularly feeling the pinch.
According to buykegbeer.com, the national average price of a ½ barrel keg of Busch Light is $80. Each keg contains 15.5 gallons of beer, making the price of Busch Light $5.16 per gallon when purchased that way. While that is higher than the national average price of gas, currently $4.75, it is cheaper than gasoline in multiple states, including the entire West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and Illinois.
Unfortunately, no car can currently run on Busch Light.
A-B pushing Busch Light’s presence on social media, as well as a Super Bowl commercial featuring Kenny G, and a sponsorship of the County Music Association Festival that made Busch Light the official beer of the event, are also factors cited for Busch Light’s recent rise in popularity.
Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала