Do I need to be off the tools before selling?

Not necessarily, but the less the brand depends on you personally for buying, marketing and supplier relationships, the stronger your position in negotiation.

Are overseas buyers realistic for a UK brand?

Yes. We have completed sales to US trade buyers acquiring UK brands to expand internationally. Our buyer network reaches well beyond the UK.

Sell an E-commerce Business | UK M&A

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Overview

What buyers look for in e-commerce.

The strongest e-commerce exits we complete share three traits: a brand customers come back to, acquisition that does not rely on a single channel, and numbers that survive a close look at contribution margin.

We have sold digital brands to UK buyers and to overseas trade acquirers expanding their direct-to-consumer footprint. Both groups run detailed diligence on cohort behaviour, so we prepare that data with you before going to market.

Value drivers

Where the value actually sits.

Repeat purchase rate

Returning customers turn marketing spend into an investment rather than a treadmill, and buyers pay for that.

Channel spread

A brand reliant on one paid channel or one marketplace carries platform risk. Diversified acquisition reduces it.

Contribution margin

Margin after shipping, returns and acquisition cost is the number buyers underwrite, not gross margin.

Supply chain control

Exclusive supply, owned product or protected IP separates a brand from a reseller.

Who buys

Buyer appetite today.

Trade buyers and brand aggregators remain active where retention is genuine and returns are under control. International buyers often pay a premium for an established UK customer base and supplier network.

✓UK and overseas trade buyers extending their range
✓Brand groups and aggregators
✓Private equity investors backing a management team
✓Retailers building a direct-to-consumer channel

Before you go to market

Preparation that pays.

01
Pull cohort and repeat-purchase reporting into a form a buyer can verify.
02
Document supplier terms, exclusivity and lead times.
03
Check trade marks and domain ownership sit with the company.
04
Show returns and refund rates by product line honestly. Buyers will find them anyway.

Related deals

Businesses we have sold.

E-commerce

E-Commerce Fashion Business

A digital fashion brand sold to a US trade buyer expanding their direct-to-consumer footprint internationally.

Read the deal

Consumer & leisure

Card-Based Drinking Game

A fast-growing consumer brand matched with private equity buyers seeking scalable, product-led businesses.