E-Commerce
Our process is fast, easy to understand, and founder friendly.
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Ready to sell your e-commerce business? We guide you from valuation to closing with a seamless, white-glove process.
Whether you're running a Shopify store, Amazon FBA brand, or DTC powerhouse, we specialize in helping e-commerce founders maximize their exit. Get expert valuation, white-glove support, and access to the right buyers—without the stress.
We like to sell e-commercebusinesses that have:
Sustainable Margins
Above 15%
Healthy profit
From $500K to $5M
Successful operations
Of three years or longer
A positive and ethical approach
No sketchy stuff
And bonus points forbusinesses that have:
A simple business model
You can explain it to your parents
A unique advantage
Like service offering or niche
A high-quality team
A great team with a positive culture
Solid transition plan
Of 90 days or longer
Strong Customer Economics
Like a healthy LTV:CAC ratio and repeat purchase behavior
Operational Stability
Established fulfillment processes and a reliable supply chain
Brand IP or Differentiation
Think trademarks, custom packaging, loyal DTC audience, or exclusive SKUs
Clean Metrics & Low Return Rates
Buyers love clarity — and low returns = high confidence
We work with founders who decide to sell their e-commerce business for the following reasons:
Market Timing
The founder sees strong demand or peak performance and wants to capitalize while valuations are high, ensuring maximum return before market conditions shift.
Operational Burnout
Running an e-commerce business is nonstop — from supply chain to customer service. Founders may sell to step back from the constant hustle and regain personal freedom.
Scaling Limitations
Some founders reach a growth ceiling and need a larger partner to take the business to the next level — whether that’s international expansion, wholesale, or infrastructure upgrades.
Industry Disruption
Rapid shifts in tech, logistics, or platform rules (hello, Amazon algorithm changes) can prompt a sale before competitiveness becomes harder to maintain.
Life Changes
Family needs, health priorities, or a desire for a different lifestyle often lead founders to explore an exit — especially when the business is still performing well.
New Ventures
Founders are entrepreneurial at heart. After years of building one brand, many are ready to start something new and want to free up capital and mental space.
Team Transitions
Key team members may be moving on, or the founder no longer wants to manage employees and contractors — making this the right time to pass the baton.
Exit Planning Strategies
Some founders always planned to sell and are simply executing on that plan now that the business has hit the right size, stability, and valuation.
Strategic Buyout
A compelling offer from a strategic buyer or aggregator can create a win-win situation that aligns with the founder’s goals — prompting a sale even if they weren’t actively seeking one.
Don’t go at this alone. Use our resources. Get inspired by our market guides and let’s tackle this together.
Exit Strategy for E-Commerce Business - A Founder’s Roadmap
Selling your e-commerce store starts long before you list. This step-by-step roadmap walks you through setting your goals, preparing your financials, and maximizing your multiple. At Merge, we combine data-backed valuation with white-glove support to help founders exit with confidence and clarity.
How to Prepare Your E-Commerce Business for Sale – A 10-Chapter Guide
From positioning and pricing to documentation and negotiation, this 10-chapter guide outlines everything you need to know before going to market. Merge’s hands-on advisory helps you avoid surprises, attract serious buyers, and streamline your path to a high-value sale.
The Ultimate Guide to Valuing Your E-Commerce Business
Wondering how much your online store is really worth? This guide breaks down valuation strategies—including EBITDA multiples, revenue comps, and real market benchmarks—to help you price confidently and attract serious buyers. Learn what drives valuation and how Merge helps you prepare.
Avoid These 7 Common Mistakes When Selling Your E-Commerce Business
Avoid costly missteps when preparing to sell your e-commerce store. From messy books to single-channel risk and post-sale planning gaps, this guide outlines the top pitfalls we see—and how Merge helps founders overcome them for a smoother, higher-value exit.
The Timeline to Sell Your E-Commerce Business
Curious how long it takes to sell your e-commerce business? This post walks through the full timeline—preparation, outreach, diligence, and closing—so you know what to expect and how to stay ahead. Learn how Merge’s white-glove approach shortens time-to-close while maximizing value.
Know When to Sell Your E-Commerce Business — And How to Maximize Timing
Timing is everything in M&A. This guide shows you how to spot the signals that it’s time to sell your e-commerce business, align your personal and financial goals, and prepare for the right moment to exit. Perfect for founders who want to sell confidently and on their terms.
Taxes on Selling an E-Commerce Business: What Every Founder Needs to Know
Get ahead of the tax curve with this founder-friendly guide to navigating capital gains, state taxes, QSBS exclusions, and legal entity considerations when selling your online store. Learn how to structure your deal to maximize proceeds and minimize surprises come tax season.
Ecommerce Business Sale Examples: Real-World Deals Under $50M and What They Teach Founders
Curious what real exits look like? We break down actual small e-commerce business sales—from niche DTC brands to subscription boxes—and share what made them successful. Use these examples to benchmark your own sale strategy and avoid costly missteps.
Step 1: Initial Consultation
We start with a confidential chat to understand your goals, timing, and business model. This helps us create a clear exit plan tailored to your store’s operations, product mix, and ownership structure.
Step 2: Valuation
Our team conducts a full valuation using your store’s financials, revenue sources (Amazon, Shopify, DTC, etc.), and market trends. We consider inventory cycles, ad spend efficiency, and margins to establish a fair, data-backed asking price.
Step 3: Market Positioning
We identify your brand’s strongest selling points—from niche dominance to repeat customer behavior—and position your business for maximum appeal to the right type of buyer.
Step 4: Preparation of Marketing Materials
We prepare a visually engaging, data-rich prospectus highlighting your store’s brand story, traffic channels, financial performance, fulfillment model, and scalability potential.
Step 5: Buyer Identification and Screening
Through our curated buyer network, we match your store with serious, pre-qualified acquirers who understand e-commerce and are actively looking for businesses like yours.
Step 6: Presentations and Meetings
We coordinate calls with top buyer candidates and coach you through each interaction so you can share your story confidently and transparently while we handle all the logistics.
Step 7: Negotiations and Offers
Once offers come in, we help you compare terms, negotiate price, and protect your interests—whether that’s cash at close, a transition plan, or earn-out structures.
Step 8: Due Diligence
We organize your store’s key operational documents (Shopify/Amazon data, ad accounts, supplier contracts, etc.) and ensure a smooth diligence process that keeps momentum moving toward closing.
Step 9: Closing and Transition
We finalize documents, coordinate handoff of assets and accounts, and guide you through a seamless transition—whether you’re stepping away completely or staying on for a short-term support period.
Our fee structure is simple, transparent, and aligned with your success.
During the engagement, while our team works to match your e-commerce business with the perfect buyer, you’ll pay a monthly retainer ranging from $5,000–$20,000 depending on the size and complexity of your business. When the deal closes, you pay a success fee equal to 10% of the cash consideration received at closing. No hidden fees, no surprises—just a structure designed to keep everyone incentivized and focused on your best outcome.
Our Strategic Engagements Are Designed to Maximize Your Exit.
Our three signature engagements go beyond traditional M&A advisory, helping e-commerce founders confidently navigate every phase of selling an online store. Backed by deep digital retail experience and a proven track record, each engagement is designed to meet your brand’s specific goals. Whether you’re preparing your store for sale, fielding inbound buyer interest, or ready to go to market, our process delivers clarity, confidence, and maximum return.
1. Valuation Only
(Understand & Assess)
For founders who want to know what their e-commerce business is worth, this engagement delivers a clear, data-backed valuation based on DTC benchmarks and key online retail metrics. You’ll gain the insights you need to decide if, when, and how to sell—no pressure attached.
2. Transaction Support
(Advise & Execute)
If you already have a buyer at the table, we’ll jump in to guide you through the deal—structuring terms, negotiating price, managing diligence, and protecting your interests through closing. It’s expert support without the full-market process.
3. Full Go-to-Market Representation
(Prepare & Represent)
This is the full-service, white-glove experience. We handle everything—valuation, positioning, buyer outreach, negotiations, and closing—so you can focus on running your store while we drive the exit process. Perfect for founders seeking top-dollar offers and a smooth transition.
Since 2015, we've guided over 1,000 businesses through valuations & acquisitions.
In the dynamic realm of M&A, experience isn't just a bonus—it's the key ingredient that empowers buyers and sellers to navigate the intricate process with assurance and also achieve their goals.
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What
The
FAQ
We focus on DTC brands, Amazon-native businesses, Shopify and WooCommerce stores, and other digital retail models with strong margins, clean financials, and operational stability.
We use a mix of valuation methods including SDE/EBITDA multiples, revenue multiples, and e-commerce-specific benchmarks like repeat purchase rates and AOV. Our approach reflects real buyer behavior in today’s M&A market.
Yes — confidentiality is core to our process. We use blind listings, vetted NDAs, and structured buyer communication to ensure your brand and team aren’t exposed until the right time.
We’ve built a curated network of strategic buyers, aggregators, funds, and high-net-worth individuals actively seeking e-commerce deals. We also run targeted outreach to match your business with ideal buyers based on size, category, and model.
That’s totally fine. Many founders come to us just to understand their valuation or exit options. We’ll give you honest insights and a roadmap, so when the time is right, you’re prepared.
We charge a monthly retainer during the engagement and a success fee based on the cash you receive at closing. Our structure is aligned to get you the best outcome — no hidden costs, ever.
Most e-commerce deals take 4–6 months from kick-off to close, but timing depends on readiness, financials, and deal complexity. We’ll move as fast as you’re able to.
Focus on clean financials, clear reporting (like SKU-level performance), removing owner dependencies, and documenting key ops and suppliers. We’ll guide you on the rest.
We do the heavy lifting — outreach, vetting, negotiations — so you can focus on running your business. You’ll join key calls and review offers, but we keep things efficient and founder-friendly.
That depends on your goals and the buyer’s needs. Some founders transition out quickly; others stay on during an earnout. We’ll help structure the post-sale plan that works best for you.