June 17 marked the three month anniversary of our boycott of Guinness. We did an online survey of pub owners in several cities, and the results were as follows:
• 75 report a decrease in sales
• 24 report no difference
• 4 report an increase
From what we have determined, it appears that the decrease in sales is due to three factors: (a) there is a drop off in sales following St. Patrick’s Day (b) the increase in the sales of craft beers is hurting Guinness and (c) the boycott is working. Here is a sample of the responses:
“In April-May 2014, we sold 1,030 pints but in April-May 2013, we sold 1,245 pints”; “I have switched to other stouts”; “Holding back on buying Guinness”; “Our sales are down 3-4%”; “I was gonna pull Guinness but instead I put Murphy’s in beside it”; “I own 12 bars in Manhattan and I will let you know that we are disgusted with Guinness”; “My Guinness sales have declined by about 40%”; “I sold my stock in Diageo when I first heard the news.”
We notified officials at Diageo, the Guinness owner, of our results. We also sent them the names of thousands who signed our petition. Many thanks to everyone for participating in this boycott. Please keep it up. This concludes this phase of our campaign.
Look for future announcements. It is important that Guinness understands that it cannot treat Catholics with impunity.
