Modelo overtakes Bud Light as top US beer seller

According to Nielsen data analyzed by Bump Williams Consulting, Modelo Especial, a Mexican lager, has overtaken Bud Light as the best-selling beer in the US in terms of retail dollar sales. Modelo controlled 8.4% of grocery, convenience, and liquor store sales, while Bud Light fell to 7.3%. Bud Light has been the top-selling US beer since 2001, but has experienced a decline in sales since early April, when it sent a commemorative can to Dylan Mulvaney, a transgender influencer. Critics vowed to boycott the brand, and Mulvaney’s fans have accused the brand of not doing enough to support her. Bud Light's year-to-date market share of 9% still outpaces Modelo's, at 8%. Dave William, Bump Williams’ vice president of analytics and insights, said that Bud Light could still retain its crown as the best-selling US beer this year. However, Modelo appears to have the advantage, with sales increasing by double-digit percentages every week. The launch of a new light beer, Modelo Oro, in May is also boosting awareness of the brand. Bud Light’s US sales slumped 24% the week ending June 3, while Modelo Especial sales were up 12%, according to Dave Williams. Scott Scanlon, an executive vice president at the consulting firm Circana who follows the alcohol market, said Mexican imports like Modelo and Corona have been the biggest bright spots in the otherwise stagnant US beer market for years. Modelo is already the top seller in markets like Los Angeles and Chicago, but it could still see a lot of growth ahead on the East Coast. Grupo Modelo, the Mexican brewer, is owned by Anheuser-Busch InBev, the same parent company of Bud Light. Constellation Brands, a Victor, New York-based company, has been licensed to sell Modelo in the US since 2013 as part of an agreement with antitrust regulators after InBev bought Grupo Modelo.