Distributors: Volume Rebound in 2004?

An informative survey of distributors by Legg Mason beverage analyst Mark Swartzberg shows that distributors feel that factors other than price, factors which are temporary, are to blame for weaker than expected 2003 beer sales. Mark's survey of 20 distributors, roughly evenly divided between A-B, Miller/Coors, and all other, revealed that distributors rank the weather and economic conditions above pricing as the reasons for weak sales. This is a good thing, because price increases are continuing while, presumably, the weather