“No One Wants a Price War”

DISCOUNTING. That's what A-B chief Pat Stokes said yesterday at A-B's bi-annual investors' conference in St. Louis. Pat reiterated several times that A-B was "not leading down" pricing for the US beer industry, but rather is attempting to close the gap between A-B and Miller. A-B says that IRI scans show that A-B's premium brands were priced 45 cents higher than Miller premiums, while today that gap has narrowed to 15 cents. Pat hinted that A-B's brands simply can't withstand