With a $104.2 billion merger agreed to in principle, beer giants Anheuser-Busch InBev and SABMiller could be walking down the aisle soon, creating a company that provides nearly 70% of the beer sold in the U.S. While such a mega-merger might be beneficial to the companies as far as increasing market share and cutting costs, the deal could have some very real consequences for consumers – and other beer producers. While we can't know for sure just what the outcome of the proposed merger will be for consumers, AB InBev (ABI), SABMiller and the hundreds of other smaller brewers, antitrust experts provided Consumerist with a few plausible scenarios, none of which really benefit the consumer. In fact, Diana Moss, president of the American Antitrust Institute, tells Consumerist that virtually no merger scenario between the two companies would benefit consumers. Instead, the deal spells higher prices, fewer choices, and a harder life for smaller craft brewers.
