Bud Light to buy back unsold, expired beer amid boycott

Bud Light reportedly told wholesalers that the company would buy back cases of unsold, expired beer amid the ongoing boycott of Anheuser-Busch brands, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The company's disastrous promotional partnership in April with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney has resulted in a drop in sales for six weeks in a row.

In an effort to turn around the company's image, Anheuser-Busch plans to include Bud Light in its sponsorship of a veterans organization, the WSJ reported.

The outlet also stated that the beer maker has started reinvesting in television commercials that include themes such as country music and football.

Anheuser-Busch partners with 385 independent distributors in the United States, many of which are family-owned businesses, the WSJ reported.

To compensate wholesale companies that lost profit during the Bud Light boycott, the beer maker offered to buy back cases that had gone unsold and have since expired.

Anheuser-Busch InBev Chief Executive Michel Doukeris stated, "In the current environment in the social media landscape, you know that consumer brands in different situations might be pulled into the discussion."

"With one can, one post… we saw how this grew," Doukeris said, referring to a custom-made can Bud Light gave Mulvaney for a March Madness digital campaign.

The social media campaign alienated a significant percentage of the company's conservative consumers.

Two weeks after the initial fallout, Anheuser-Busch responded to the backlash from consumers with a general statement that failed to satisfy those on either side of the debate.

"We never intended to be part of a discussion that divides people. We are in the business of bringing people together over a beer," Anheuser-Busch's statement said in part.

Many expressed frustration that the company took so long to respond, and others accused the beer maker of not taking a clear stand. As a result, LGBT+ advocates also vowed to boycott Bud Light.

One employee told the WSJ, "It just feels like I work for a company that caved."

Human Rights Campaign, an LGBT+ advocacy group, slammed Bud Light for showing a "profound lack of fortitude."

During the second week of May, Bud Light's sales volume plummeted 28% compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, sales for rival brands Coors Light and Miller Lite increased 17% and 15%.

Other Anheuser-Busch brands have also experienced drops in sales. This week, Budweiser's sales plunged 9.7%, Michelob Ultra fell 2.9%, and Natural Light declined 2.5%.

Anheuser-Busch did not respond to a request for comment, Fox News Digital reported.

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