Beer Prices Going Up This Fall

Two of the largest brewers in the U.S. have announced plans to raise prices on their signature products this fall, although the amount of the increases has not been disclosed.

The Associated Press reported Aug. 25 that Anheuser-Busch and MillerCoors both signaled their intention to raise prices, with local markets determining the size of the increase. “The markets have been assessed, and we’ll be acting on a by-market, by-brand and by-package basis,” according to Anheuser-Busch. “Pricing has been very strong on the MillerCoors portfolio and we believe that we can take a moderate price increase in the fall,” added MillerCoors spokesperson Pete Marino.

The increases come as sales volume has fallen for some of the companies’ top products, such as Bud Light and Miller Light. Beer prices in general have been increasing, up an average of 5.3 percent in 2008 and another 4.6 percent as of July 2009.