You want to sell your gas station? Then it's good to know what the takeover market in the gas station field looks like. Fuel obviously remains the most important selling product, but many petrol station owners can make the difference by focusing on the trend of convenience and health and by anticipating sustainability.
Figures on the number of gas station mergers and acquisitions are not high, according to the Central Bureau of Statistics. However, it is a trend that the larger parties in the gas station market are stirring. Q8, Texaco and Shell, among others, regularly make their move in the (international) takeover market.
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 automotive, transport and logistics, the sector to which gas stations belong, an indicative EBITDA multiple range of 3.8 to 4.5 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).
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Want to buy a business or sell a business in the Automotive, Transport & Logistics 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 Automotive, Transport & Logistics. Because in every buying or selling process, thorough preparation gives peace of mind, overview and structure.
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In the short term, Rabobank expects the total sales of fuels in the Netherlands to remain stable. The share of gasoline will continue to grow at the expense of diesel and LPG sales will continue to decline sharply. In the long term, the greening of the vehicle fleet, through more efficient fuel engines and the rise of electric cars, will lead to a sharp decline in sales of fuel products. Innovation and sustainability is essential to survive in the market, such as providing fast-charging facilities for fully electric cars and more sustainable fuels such as CNG and LNG.
In figures, the number of gas stations in 2024 looked as follows(CBS):
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A number of trends and developments will inevitably cause changes in the coming years, but also offer brand dealers many growth and acquisition opportunities:
The transition to electric driving will be accompanied by increasing demand for fast-charging facilities. Rabobank expects that gas stations that are able to facilitate fast charging will perform better in five to ten years.
The quality of cars is increasing and consumers are driving fewer miles on average, leading to overcapacity among dealers. The number of branches among brand dealers is decreasing, as there is an increasing number of consolidations among car dealers.
Selling through digital channels is on the rise and this is also an attractive market for the automotive industry, according to Rabobank. The younger generations are doing their research and know what they want, so even something as pricey as a car, is being bought online. As a brand dealer, invest in quality photography, findability and modern technology like VR.
According to ABN Amro, as well as Business Insider, private leasing is on the rise. On the one hand, this is a great opportunity for brand dealers, but on the other hand, it also means less maintenance. This keeps margins relatively low and makes it necessary for brand dealers to look for other revenue models.
