ico's antitrust regulator is expected to make public this week a ruling on whether Anheuser-Busch InBev's Grupo Modelo and a Heineken brewer can keep exclusivity agreements with corner stores and restaurants.Mexico's Federal Competition Commission ruled on the case in June, in response to a complaint by SABMiller and several small Mexican beer companies, the Wall Street Journal reports. Mexico City-based microbrewer Cerveceria Primus joined in the antitrust complaint.
Modelo brands such as Corona claim about 58 percent of the Mexican beer market, while Heineken's Cervceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma accounts for 41 percent — nearly a duopoly. In exchange for only offering their company's beers, the brewers have offered incentives to restaurants and quick marts, such as discounts or help in obtaining alcohol vending permits.
About half of Mexico's beer sales come through small convenience stores, many of which sell only one of the two brewer's brands, the Journal reports. About 15 percent of beer sales in Mexico come at restaurants and bars.
Anheuser-Busch, based in St. Louis, is part of Belgium-based Anheuser-Busch InBev (NYSE: BUD). In June, A-B InBev completed its $20.1 billion purchase of Grupo Modelo.
