Anheuser-Busch Sees Three Trends as Critical for Beer Business

ST. LOUIS — As consumer preferences for beer shift, Anheuser-Busch InBev is turning to three mega-trends to play a role in expanding its brand.

Premium beers, products for health-conscious consumers and purpose-driven brands will be important to the company's future, reported Fox Business.

Sales of premium brands such as Goose Island and Budweiser Reserve are making up for slower sales of the brewer's flagship brands.

"Today consumers are looking for different experiences different products and they love innovation and we've been innovating more than ever before this is playing a very important role for us in terms of growth," CEO Michel Doukeris said.

In addition to reaching out to health-conscious consumers through products like Pure Gold, an organic brew that is part of its Michelob Ultra brand, Anheuser-Busch is searching cannabis-infused beverages through a partnership with Tilray.

"The second is this idea of health conscious consumers and products that can fit that lifestyle," he said. "So when we think about the success of Michelob Ultra, for example, the low carbs, low calories proposition, this is a field that we continue to explore and we believe that there is a lot to come from there."

Doukeris also pointed out how the company is making its brands more purpose driven, supporting initiatives such as providing greater access to clean water.

"So we've been doing a lot of initiatives of our brands," he said. "For example, Stella Artois and all this support for their water and the water in Africa and the emerging countries together... So as you buy Stella you are making a contribution."

St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch is the U.S. arm of Anheuser-Busch InBev and operates 21 local breweries, 21 distributorships, and 23 agricultural and packaging facilities across the United States. It is best known for its American-style lagers, Budweiser and Bud Light.