Buy a Trading Company & Take Over a Retail Business
Deal One aggregates new trading businesses for sale from across Germany and the DACH region every day: retailers (brick-and-mortar and hybrid), wholesalers, specialist dealers, importers, distributors, franchise retail businesses, as well as insolvencies in the trade sector. From small boutiques to mid-sized wholesalers – all listings in one place, updated daily.Deal One’s AI continuously scans all relevant sources and automatically notifies you by email as soon as a matching trading business meets your search criteria – by revenue, product range, region or asking price. Brick-and-mortar retail is undergoing structural change: insolvencies and succession situations in particular create new opportunities every day.Trading businesses on Deal One are sought after by strategic buyers, roll-up investors in retail, private equity funds, and entrepreneurs looking to enter established supply chains, supplier relationships or local market positions. The range spans from small specialist dealers to mid-sized wholesalers with double-digit million revenue.
Frequently Asked Questions: Buying a Trading Company
What does a trading company cost in Germany?
Valuations in trade are strongly based on revenue, margin and inventory. Brick-and-mortar retailers are often valued at 0.3–0.7x revenue, since retail margins are low. Wholesalers with stable customer relationships achieve 4–7x EBIT. Key factors are inventory, supplier contracts and customer loyalty. Insolvent retailers are often cheaper to acquire – sometimes only for the value of the stock – but carry risks around customer retention.
What types of trading businesses are listed on Deal One?
The range includes: brick-and-mortar specialist retail (fashion, electronics, DIY, food), wholesale and industrial trade, import and export trade, cash-and-carry businesses, direct sales, franchise retailers, as well as pure trading agencies. Deal One also captures new insolvency notices in trade every day – a segment with a particularly high insolvency rate.
Why is now a particularly good time to buy a trading business?
Brick-and-mortar retail is facing a generational shift: many owners are looking for successors but can’t find one within the family. At the same time, structural change in retail and the digitalisation of trade create opportunities for buyers who can modernise classic trading models. With Deal One’s AI alert, you’ll never miss a succession or insolvency situation in trade again.
