U.S. beer shipments dropped by more than 5% over the first nine months of 2023, according to data compiled by Beer Market’s Insights. By the end of the year, shipments are expected to fall to their lowest level in 25 years, The Wall Street Journal reported. …

Bud Light’s sales sunk after the controversy, causing the brand to lose its title as America’s top-selling beer by dollar sales. Now, more than half a year after the debacle began, the company is still feeling the pain. Retail-store sales were down 28% over the four weeks ended Dec. 9 compared with the same period in 2022, according Nielsen data analyzed by Bump Williams Consulting and cited by the Journal.

[It’s only going to get worse, analysts believe, because younger consumers had shifted away from alcohol more generally anyway. And let’s face it: Bud Light is indistinguishable from its competitors in the “mediocre diet lager” segment anyway. Breaking the connection to Bud Light didn’t result in a complete transfer of that consumer segment to other entrants, but more of an exodus from the market altogether. — Ed]