One Costco location was seen over the weekend with slashed prices for Bud Light beer as Anheuser-Busch InBev continues to navigate the fallout of its decision to partner up with transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney.
The partnership has cost the company many lifelong customers and a whole lot of revenue.
The brand’s reputation has been harmed so much that it might never fully rebound.
Bud Light is a punchline on social media, and cases of it are sitting on store shelves.
On Sunday, conservative commentator Ryan Fournier shared an image of cases of the brand being sold at a substantial discount at Costco.
Fournier’s photo showed 36-packs of Bud Light on sale for only $14.97.
“This is insane,” he commented.
That means in at least one store, a can of Bud Light is worth about 41 cents.
Many who commented on the post made it clear they wouldn’t buy the beer at any price. But let’s take a moment to truly look at what a deal that is.
Customers naturally save more when they buy anything in bulk, and beer is no exception. Still, 41 cents per can is staggering.
USA Today chronicled the average price of a six-pack of beer dating back decades.
Twenty years ago, in 2003, the average six-pack in the U.S. sold for $6.79 — about $1.13 per unit.
That is without taking inflation into account.
When adjusted for inflation, a six-pack of beer 20 years ago would cost a consumer today an average of $8.84.
That is roughly $1.47 per beer.
While Fournier’s Facebook post showed Bud Light being sold in bulk, the fact the brand is priced at $0.41 a can anywhere is indicative of how much damage Anheuser-Busch has done to itself.
Americans have been left reeling by inflation for the last two years as prices have skyrocketed for the most basic of necessities — including food and housing.
Some families have been grappling with grocery bills that are making it difficult for them to even get by.
The misery has predictably and tragically led many, many people to turn to drugs and/or alcohol.
As a former Anheuser-Busch employee, I used to hear a phrase from management that was said in jest but was all too accurate when applied to the general population:
“When times are good, sales are good. When times are bad, sales are good.”
That statement might no longer ring true, at least not for Anheuser-Busch — and at least not right now.
If you’re struggling to sell beer for pennies on the dollar to people who are looking for both a bargain and an escape, you’ve committed an egregious error.
Bud Light’s decision to print Mulvaney’s face on a can of beer might ultimately prove to be the worst business decision in the beer industry’s history.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.