Anheuser-Busch InBev’s (A-B) Michelob Ultra passed sibling brand Bud Light as the second largest brand by dollar sales year-to-date (YTD) in Circana-tracked off-premise channels (total U.S. multi-outlet plus convenience), according to the market research firm’s latest monthly report (ending July 14).
Michelob Ultra outpaced Bud Light by more than $8 million YTD to claim the No. 2 spot, with dollar sales increasing +3% and volume (case sales) +2.7%. The brand now accounts for 7.46% of total beer dollars YTD (+0.25 share points), while Bud Light accounts for 7.42% (-1.47 share).
In the last four weeks (L4W), Michelob Ultra dollar sales increased +6.3% and volume +6.2% year-over-year (YoY), maintaining similar trends to the previous four-week period, ending June 16 (dollar sales +6.8%, volume +6.2%).
Bud Light dollar sales declined -5.3% and volume -6.7% YoY in the L4W, improving slightly from the previous four weeks (dollar sales -6.1%, volume -7.5%). YTD, Bud Light dollar sales have declined -17% and volume -17.9%, on top of soft 2023 comps from a conservative-led boycott of the brand.
No. 1 beer brand Constellation Brands’ Modelo Especial continues to grow on its leading base, with dollar sales increasing +7.1% and volume +7% in the L4W. YTD dollar sales have increased +11% and volume +10.5% for the Mexican import brand.
Bud Light remains the No. 1 brand by volume, with 9.07 share of total beer case sales (-1.71 share points YTD), followed by Modelo Especial (7.81% share, +0.91 share points) and Michleob Ultra (7.69%, +0.38 share points).
Slightly further down the list, Constellation Brands’ Corona Extra passed Molson Coors’ Miller Lite as the fifth-largest beer brand by dollar sales YTD. The Mexican import increased dollar sales +0.4%, while volume declined -1.2% YTD. In the last four weeks, Corona dollar sales were nearly flat (+0.1%), while volume declined -1.5%.
Miller Lite dollar sales have increased +0.9% and volume has declined -0.6% YTD. In the L4W, dollar sales declined -4.6% and volume declined -6%.
The rest of the top 10 performed as follows:
- No. 4 Molson Coors’ Coors Light dollar sales -6.5%, volume -7.3% YoY in L4W (dollar sales +2.2%, volume +1.1% YTD);
- No. 7 A-B’s Budweiser dollar sales -5.3%, volume -6.8% YoY (dollar sales -7.8%, volume -9.5% YTD);
- No. 8 A-B’s Busch Light dollar sales +10.8%, volume +7.7% YoY (dollar sales +6.3%, volume +4% YTD);
- No. 9 A-B’s Natural Light dollar sales +0.7%, volume -1.6% YoY (dollar sales -0.4%, volume -2% YTD);
- No. 10 Heineken dollar sales -0.9%, volume -2.4% YoY (dollar sales -2.3%, volume -4.9% YTD).
Twenty-two of the top 50 beer brands recorded YoY gains in the L4W, with double-digit gains from six:
- No. 8 Busch Light, L4W figures above (previous four-week dollar sales +10.6%, volume +7.1% YoY);
- No. 15 Molson Coors’ Coors Banquet dollar sales +11.9%, volume +10.2% (previous dollar sales +13.2%, volume +11%);
- No. 17 Constellation Brands’ Pacifico dollar sales +24.4%, volume +23.5% (previous dollar sales +25.9%, volume +24.7%);
- No. 23 Boston Beer Company’s Twisted Tea Half & Half dollar sales +12.6%, volume +10.6% (previous dollar sales +16.8%, volume +14.7%);
- No. 28 Twisted Tea Party Pack dollar sales +23.1%, volume +19.4% (previous dollar sales +12.1%, volume +9%);
- No. 32 Constellation Brands’ Modelo Chelada Limón y Sal dollar sales +17.5%, volume +14.7% (previous dollar sales +21.7%, volume +18.7%).
Of the 28 top 50 brands in decline, four recorded double-digit declines:
- No. 21 Yuengling Traditional Lager dollar sales -18%, volume -19.4% YoY (previous four-week dollar sales -20%, volume -21.6%);
- No. 26 Mark Anthony Brands’ White Claw No. 3 variety pack dollar sales -14.7%, volume -16.5% (previous dollar sales -14.4%, volume -16.2%);
- No. 30 Constellation Brands’ Corona Premier dollar sales -13.1%, volume -13.4% (previous dollar sales -11.9%, volume -11.8%);
- No. 40 Corona Light dollar sales -10.7%, volume -12.9% (previous dollar sales -7.6%, volume -8.8%).
A-B Recovery Takes Step Back; Craft Portfolio Brands Record Largest Declines
A-B remains the top vendor in YTD dollar sales. While the company was nearly flat in the L4W, declines accelerated again in the latest four-week period, with dollar sales declining -1.2% and volume -2.4% YoY (previous dollar sales -0.8%, volume -2.1%).
No. 2 Constellation Brands was one of nine beer vendors in the top 25 to record dollar sales gains in the L4W, with dollar sales increasing +4.9% and volume +4%. While still in the black, trends slowed versus the previous four-week period, when dollar sales increased +7.4% and volume +6.4% YoY.
No. 3 Molson Coors, which has seen consistent declines in the first half of 2024 as its tackles tough comps, recorded slightly better trends in the L4W, with dollar sales declining -5.6% and volume -6.7% (previous four-week dollar sales -6.4%, volume -7.7%).
No. 4 Mark Anthony Brands maintained dollar sales growth in the L4W (+1.4%), while volume was nearly flat (-0.6%), slightly improving trends from the last four weeks (dollar sales +1.8%, volume -1.8%).
Seven other vendors in the top 25 recorded YoY dollar sales gains:
- No. 7 Diageo dollar sales +1.4%, volume -0.2% YoY (previous four-week dollar sales +0.6%, volume -1.3%);
- No. 8 Kirin-Lion dollar sales +8.8%, volume +6.5% (previous dollar sales +9%, volume +6.4%);
- No. 12 Sierra Nevada dollar sales +5.3%, volume +2.6% (previous dollar sales +5.8%, volume +2.9%);
- No. 13 Geloso Beverage Group dollar sales +8.9%, volume +11.8% (previous dollar sales +11.3%, volume +14.2%);
- No. 17 Sazerac dollar sales +6.7%, volume +2.7% (previous dollar sales +2.7%, volume -1%);
- No. 22 Firestone Walker dollar sales +0.9%, volume -0.3% (previous dollar sales -2.8%, volume -6.2%);
- No. 24 Athletic Brewing dollar sales +77.6%, volume +82.9% (previous dollar sales +76.6%%, volume +81.8%%).
Some of the largest top vendor declines were recorded by craft portfolio companies, including No. 15 Tilray Brands, No. 23 Artisanal Brewing Ventures (ABV) and No. 25 CANarchy (renamed Monster Brewing).
Tilray Brands, which entered to top 25 thanks to its acquisition of seven craft breweries from A-B in late 2023, recorded a -19.8% decline in dollar sales and -20.9% decline in volume in the L4W, with declines nearly doubling versus the previous four-week period (dollar sales -10.5%, volume -11.2%). The company also recorded a significant acceleration in declines in grocery, with dollar sales declining -20.6% and volume -22.6% YoY (previous four-week period dollar sales -9.5%, volume -5.9%).
ABV’s craft brands – Victory, Southern Tier, Sixpoint and Bold Rock Hard Cider – recorded a -10.5% YoY decline in dollar sales and -11.2% decline in volume in the L4W, accelerating from -9.6% and -10.3% declines, respectively, in the previous four-week period.
Similarly, CANarchy (Cigar City, Oskar Blues, Deep Ellum, Perrin Brewing, Squatters and Wasatch) dollar sales declined -10.2% and volume -12.3% in the L4W (previous four-week dollar sales -7.6%, volume -9.9%). Meanwhile, Monster Brewing – the remaining Monster -owned bev-alc brands beyond its CANarchy portfolio, including The Beast Unleashed flavored malt beverage and Nasty Beast Hard Tea – was the 18th-largest beer vendor and and recorded a -1.5% decline in dollar sales and -1.3% decline in volume in the L4W.
(Brewbound previously dove into craft segment and brand performances. Read the report here).
Beyond the previously mentioned vendors, 10 others were in decline YoY:
- No. 5 Boston Beer (dollar sales -2.4%, volume -4.3%);
- No. 7 Heineken USA (dollar sales -3.3%, volume -4.1%);
- No. 9 Pabst Brewing (dollar sales -8.5%, volume -8%);
- No. 10 D.G. Yuengling & Son (dollar sales -12.8%, volume -14.1%);
- No. 11 FIFCO USA (dollar sales -10.9%, volume -11.5%);
- No. 16 Lagunitas Brewing (dollar sales -8.2%, volume -11.1%);
- No. 19 Shiner-maker the Gambrinus Company (dollar sales -6.4%, volume -7%);
- No. 20 Founders and Avery Brewing parent company Mahou USA (dollar sales -0.4%, volume -1%);
- No. 21 Stone parent company Sapporo USA (dollar sales -4.1%, volume -5.4%).