The beer industry underwent major changes between 2010 and 2016, when craft beer grew in popularity and increased competition in the market. This new product created difficulties for popular brands such as Bud Light and Budweiser, who were struggling to collectively dominate the beer industry. Since the peak of craft beer in 2016, craft breweries have struggled to maintain sales and thrive within the industry. Craft beer started out as an attractive product that consumers were eager to purchase. There was a uniqueness that intrigued individuals and caused interest in craft beer to skyrocket, leading to a spike in sales. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original Essay Different factors contribute to the overall growth and success of businesses. Various forces within the market can affect breweries, leading to positive or negative business outcomes. The purpose of this case study is to identify problems that have arisen within the craft brewing industry since 2016 and find a possible solution. This research will allow new and existing craft breweries to be informed of the strengths within the industry and help them overcome industry challenges in order to regain momentum and be competitive in the beer industry. The Craft Brewing Industry The craft brewing industry had a significant impact on the beer industry in the early 2010s. Craft beer is an attractive product for many reasons. It is produced both locally and regionally. For this reason, craft beers are high quality compared to cheaper, more popular beers such as Miller Lite. Craft brewers also have the ability to differentiate their products by creating unique recipes and flavors. In 2015, the following craft breweries were among the top 10 largest breweries in the United States: DG Yuengling and Son, Inc.; Boston Beer Company; Sierra Nevada Brewing Company; New Belgian brewing company; Craft Brewery Alliance (Gamble, 2017). This shows how prevalent craft breweries have become in the market, as they were ranked among the largest and most well-known brewing companies such as Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Craft breweries have added value to the market. beer industry as a whole, reaching $39. 5 billion in revenue by 2016 over a five-year period, representing an annual increase of 6.7% (Gamble, 2017). In late 2016, craft brewery sales began to decline. In 2017, 165 craft breweries closed, representing the highest number of closures in a given year in the past decade (Siegel, 2018). This closure percentage is 42% higher than the previous year, 2016, when 116 craft breweries closed (Siegel, 2018). Small breweries continue to close their doors due to high competition and partial market saturation. Case Analysis Porter's five forces of rivalry, potential new entrants, substitutes, bargaining power of buyers, and purchasing power of suppliers provide a good basis for evaluation for this specific industry. I will use these five forces to evaluate the beer industry, focusing specifically on craft brewing and the factors that have affected their sales. There is a lot of rivalry within the beer industry. There are 15 categories of beers including more than 70.