Corona Price Increase Triggers Share Loss

Losing case, dollar share in supermarkets.

Corona Extra is losing share in wake of soon-to-be ex-importer Gambrinus Co.’s price increase, according to beer sales statistics from ACNielsen.

The No. 1 import in the U.S. saw its case share slip by 10 basis points for the four weeks ended December 2 (100 basis points=1 point), according to ACNielsen. Corona was flat for the latest for the latest 13-week period.

Corona’s dollar share in supermarkets also slipped by 20 basis points, according to ACNielsen’s beer market analysis. It dropped 10 basis points in the 13-week period.

The losses have been sharper in markets including Dallas, Miami and Atlanta, according to ACNielsen.

The decline is an aberration for Corona. The brand has grown at a rapid clip, thanks to the growing popularity of imports as well as the increased Latinization of U.S. culture.

But Corona lagged domestic light beers in increasing prices. And when news broke that Gambrinus was going to boost prices in the Eastern half of the U.S., speculation arose that the brand might stumble. Crown Imports, which takes control of the brand across the entire country next month, intends to rescind the price increase.

Corona has slumped after past price increases but always recovered.

It remains to be seen what will happen this time around.