You want to sell your fish store? Then it's good to know what the takeover market in the field of fish stores looks like. Fish, seafood and mollusk stores are facing challenging times. With the rise of fresh produce in the supermarket, fish stores have a formidable competitor. But betting on sustainable fish and a direct in-store fish experience can win over consumers.
The number of mergers and acquisitions of all fresh produce stores fluctuates between ten and thirty transactions annually, with Grant Thornton seeing an increase in the coming years: 'Looking purely at international transactions, we see strong interest from foreign buyers for businesses operating in the fish, meat and poultry sectors, among others.'
There are many ways to value a business. A common method of expressing the value of a business is "a factor x gross annual profit." This factor is also called multiple and another designation for gross annual profit is EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest Taxes Depreciation and Amortization).
In the retail sector, the sector to which fish stores belong, an indicative range of EBITDA multiple of 1.9 to 3.0 is currently used, according to the Brookz Takeover Barometer. The average EBITDA multiple across all SME sectors is 4.90.
The valuation of a business is often the starting point for negotiations between buyer and seller. The outcome of these negotiations is the final sales price. So valuation and price are two different quantities. Besides valuation, the price is also determined by possible scarcity in the market, bargaining power of the parties, the strategic value of the business for the buyer and possible synergy effects for the buyer (cost savings, purchasing advantages).
Do the calculation
Want to buy a business or sell a business in the retail sector? With this Brookz Sector Monitor we want to present buyers and sellers with facts, figures and an outlook that provide insight into the number of transactions, the value development of businesses and the latest trends and developments in the retail sector. Because in any buying or selling process, thorough preparation provides peace of mind, overview and structure.
Download report
The Dutch fish processing industry has a total revenue of about €4.5 billion and employs 5,655 FTE, according to the Fish Federation. The import value has grown significantly over the past year, reaching 2.8 billion euros. For the (Dutch) fish processing industry, it is important to have access to sufficient raw materials. For this, this industry is very dependent on countries outside the EU. The export value is about €3.8 billion. Of the total revenue of the Dutch fish processing industry, exports amount to about 70 to 80 percent.
In figures, the number of fish stores in 2024 looked as follows(CBS):
With this online training from Brookz you are optimally prepared to largely sell your business yourself: 25 Powerpoint videos, a comprehensive valuation report, legal model contracts, handy templates, checklists and expert support. Plus 50% discount on listing your business on Brookz!
To Brookz Academy
A number of trends and developments will inevitably cause changes in the coming years, but also offer fishmongers many growth and acquisition opportunities:
Specialty stores such as fish stores are increasingly focusing on convenience and products for immediate consumption. Concept development is essential in this regard and responds to the consumer's need for more experience around the product.
The greatest opportunities are for entrepreneurs who work together, for example by jointly buying and selling regional products, possibly in cooperation with local farmers and growers. Conscious consumers increasingly value sustainable products that help local entrepreneurs.
For several years in a row, the fresh fish store has been losing market share to the supermarket. Because supermarkets have a much better purchasing position, they are able to compete with the fresh produce specialist on price. The challenge for specialty stores is to counter this with a distinctive offer.
