USA: Anheuser-Busch concedes impact of rival Heineken Premium Light upon sales of Bud Light, Budweiser Select and Michelob Ultra

Anheuser-Busch has admitted losing sales to Heineken Premium Light, a low-calorie beer introduced by the Dutch brewer this year, highlighting the growth of imported beers in the US, The Financial Times posted October 26.

Heineken Premium Light has become a powerful presence in the premium end of the US beer market since its launch, helped by a $50 million marketing campaign.

The Dutch beer is among a widening range of premium import beers luring US drinkers away from traditional American brands.

Randy Baker, Anheuser's chief financial officer, said three of its brands – Bud Light, Budweiser Select and Michelob Ultra – had felt an impact from Heineken's success.

But he added that the threat posed by Heineken Premium Light should be kept in perspective: the brand's 0.4 per cent market share compares with Anheuser's 49 per cent.

Mr Baker said Anheuser was benefiting from growth in imported brands through its 50 per cent stake in Mexico's Grupo Modelo, maker of Corona, the most popular foreign beer in the US.

Anheuser has shown signs of recovery this year following the end of a bruising price war with Miller Brewing, its fiercest domestic rival, owned by UK-listed SABMiller. But Anheuser, which lacks the strong international presence of SABMiller, remains under pressure from the decline in its flagship Budweiser brand amid a shift by US consumers towards premium beers, wine and spirits.

Third-quarter net earnings were $637 million, or 82 cents a share, one cent better than Wall Street's consensus forecast. Sales rose 4.7 per cent to $4.3 billion.

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