How to sell a wholesale business
Wholesale businesses are valued on supplier and customer stickiness, margin stability and inventory efficiency.
The value drivers
Protected supplier lines and long customer relationships
Stable margins and efficient inventory turns
Systems and staff that run without the owner
What drags the price down
The risks a buyer discounts
- Customer or supplier concentration
- Slow inventory tying up working capital
Typical valuation
typically 3.5–6× EBITDA, adjusted for working capital.
Usual buyerlarger wholesalers, distributors and PE
Indicative only — your defensible range is built from your actual numbers.
How to prepare a wholesale business for sale
Know your number
Get a defensible valuation grounded in your normalised earnings and how buyers actually price businesses like yours.
Close the value gaps
Fix what discounts the price — the risks above — and strengthen the drivers buyers pay a premium for.
Clean the books & data room
Normalise financials and assemble a buyer-ready data room so nothing derails the deal in due diligence.
Run a managed process
Approach several qualified buyers to create competitive tension and protect both price and your leverage.
FAQ
How is a wholesale business valued?
Around 3.5–6× EBITDA, adjusted for working capital. Supplier protection, customer diversification and inventory efficiency drive the number.
How do I prepare a wholesale business for sale?
Protect supplier lines, diversify customers, tighten inventory turns, and reduce owner-dependence in key relationships.
Selling a wholesale business?
We help owners value, prepare and sell — quietly, and for the best achievable price.