You want to sell your wellness/sauna? Then it is good to know what the takeover market in the field of wellness/saunas looks like. Due to the favorable economic climate, the number of saunas and the number of sauna visits are on the rise. But wellness owners need to keep innovating to attract enough visitors.
It is a fact that the number of saunas has increased over the past few years in the Netherlands. In addition, the larger sauna chains are taking over more and more 'smaller' saunas in order to benefit from economies of scale, for example by negotiating a lower price when purchasing.
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 hospitality, tourism and recreation, the sector to which wellness/sauna belong, an indicative range of EBITDA multiple of 2.9 to 4.0 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
Do you want to buy a business or sell a business in the Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation 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 Hospitality, Tourism & Recreation sector. Because in any buying or selling process, thorough preparation provides peace of mind, overview and structure.
Download report
A growing economy favors saunas. Consumers have more to spend to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Besides healthy food choices, the popularity in relaxation is also increasing. This is reflected in the growth of sauna visits in the Netherlands. This can reduce feelings of stress at a time when most people are constantly on call.
Expressed in figures, the number of wellness/sauna 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 wellness/sauna many growth and acquisition opportunities:
Younger generations attach great importance to health in a broader sense. Therefore, offering additional wellness activities, such as fitness, yoga, mindfulness and sports classes, combined with healthy meals is promising. In addition, saunas can also set up group activities for this target group. This can also increase the average revenue per visitor, which has barely increased in recent years.
For the older target group, saunas should focus on short vacations, according to ABN Amro s sector report. By offering overnight stays, saunas make longer stays more attractive. With this target group, spending is higher and they go on vacation more often. Saunas can respond to the wishes of this target group by offering comfort, convenience and healthy and varied food.
In order to continue to encourage short stays and also keep a sauna visit accessible in the long term, it is important to offer more flexibility in payment methods. For example, there are already sauna apps where visitors can check in and pay for the number of minutes of stay when they check out. Dynamic pricing is another possibility for better distribution of crowds and optimizing opening hours.
The need for relaxation exists, but sauna owners must be careful not to become complacent. The growth in recent years was partly driven by the many discount offers, but to retain customers in the long term, innovation is important. This will also make them more resilient as economic growth slows in pace.
