Anheuser-Busch InBev is in the process of acquiring SABMiller, a colossal brewing merger that will make the company responsible for 30 percent of the global beer market. But as it turns out, people around the world maybe falling out of love with beer, and sales are dipping. So to hedge its bets, AB InBev is looking to make inroads in the non-alcoholic and near beer market, according to The Motley Fool and Forbes.
The revelation comes a week after AB-InBev was announced as a participant in the Beer Institute's "Voluntary Disclosure Initiative." The initiative plans to bring more transparency to beer labels by adding nutritional facts and ingredient lists, and the Institute, an industry trade group, hopes to have participants in full compliance by the end of 2020. It appears the King of Beers is going after a more health-conscious consumer.
That's in stark contrast to the company's recent business practices. AB InBev has been on a craft beer shopping spree, purchasing the likes of Devil's Backbone Brewing Co., Goose Island Brewing Co., and more. But, the craft market isn't what it once was. Sales grew 22 percent in 2014 alone, but this year, they're up just 6 percent. Perhaps AB InBev is partially to blame. The company consistently mocks craft beer drinkers, and some have accused the company of unfairly making business tougher for craft brewers.