Store owners in a few central California counties who say certain retailers selling Anheuser-Busch LLC beer received favored treatment from a wholesaler can try again for class certification, a state appeals court said in an unpublished opinion.
Retailers in Fresno and Madera counties sued beer maker Anheuser-Busch and its distributor, Donaghy Sales LLC, alleging a systematic scheme to favor certain retailers over others in violation of California law.
The wholesaler offered certain stores disproportionate numbers of consumer coupons for discounts off the retail price of beer, the suit alleged. These favored retailers then redeemed the coupons themselves for credit against…