Current View of Ecommerce Valuation Multiples (Q4, 2022)

thefortiagroup
October 20, 2022

Current View of Ecommerce Valuation Multiples (Q4, 2022)

thefortiagroup
October 20, 2022

Blog Summary

This blog post discusses the importance of having realistic expectations regarding the valuation of an eCommerce business when considering an exit. It highlights that unrealistic valuations can lead to failed deals and wasted resources. The post provides an overview of valuation multiples in the eCommerce market, focusing on Seller's Discretionary Earnings (SDE) for FBA businesses and Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation, and Amortization (EBITDA) for DTC businesses. It mentions the range of multiples observed in the current market and how factors like market conditions and business size can influence valuations. The post also emphasizes the role of experienced M&A advisors in achieving higher valuations and provides a list of free resources to help eCommerce entrepreneurs maximize the valuation of their business before an exit.

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Key Takeaways From The eCommerce Acquiror Conference – NY 2024

January 23, 2024

Summary

Our 2024 eCommerce Acquiror Conference took place Jan 16^th in New York, hosting eCommerce acquirors and eCommerce operational experts from around the world. The agenda was to discuss key trends driving eCommerce valuations and discuss operational areas within eCommerce acquirors. We thank our title sponsor Airwallex and all our other sponsors for making this great event a success and we look forward to seeing you all and some new faces at our next annual eCommerce Acquiror Conference.

1.eCommerce Environment

Participants: Furhaan Khan at UBS, Bill Pecoriello, CEO at Consumer Edge.

Key Takeaways:

UBS and Consumer Edge kicked off discussions reviewing the macro landscape impacting eCommerce valuations.
Based on public company comparables, eCommerce valuations have softened. Consumers spend is forecasted to transition from post covid high sectors such as travel however consumer spend in general remains subdued by caution towards inflation and interest rates.
Medium view (2025-2027) is that M&A volumes will be expected to increase once again as inflation starts to curb and the cost of capital stabilizes.

2.Acquirors

Participants:

Session 1 Panellists:

- Philipp Triebel, CEO at SellerX.
- Mark Goldfinger, VP of Growth at unybrands.
- Ben Cogan, Co-Founder at Agora.

Insight provided separately by Tushar Ahluwalia, CEO of Razor, who have a successful record in consolidation of aggregators [Stryze & Valoreo].

Session 2 Panellists:

WTB Co-CEOs, Jaschar Hupperth and Nicolai von Enzberg.
Olsam Group Co-Founders: Ollie and Sam Horbye.

Key Takeaways:

Announcing 2 New Mergers Of Aggregators: The Fortia Group was proud to announce the merger of We The Brands and Mantaro Brands, two German based aggregators, a deal that The Fortia Group had been appointed M&A advisors.Weeks before the conference the eCommerce world learned about the successful merger between Olsam Group [UK based] and Dwarfs [NL based].It was noted that while these are logical strategic moves and something many in the aggregation space will be considering, these deals do take longer due to the complex nature of appeasing a larger group of shareholders. Deal timelines were from 6 to 12 months in duration.

Consolidation (MoA) and Acquisition Trends: Acquirors in the space are communicating more discussing topics and solutions to issued being created. Consolidation within the market is an important topic.The macro implications of cost of capital in the current environment consolidation are a lot more complex than straight M&A due to the fact they are share deals with limited cash changing hands.The main reason for consolidations are as follows:
- Strengthening Balance Sheet
- Scale
- Cash
- Leverage
- Group EBITDA

Challenges of Market Conditions: Panellists discuss the challenges faced over the past year, including lower consumer spending due to inflation, pressure on margins, the rise in interest rates, and the general move towards a survival mode among companies.
Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Focus: The preference for DTC over Amazon (FBA) due to control over customer data, customer support, marketing, and the overall customer experience (CX) is emphasized.Amazon remains a focus, but many are becoming more interested in diversifying into DTC or gain back more control through this channel, particularly as increasing Amazon operational fees are forecasted for 2024.

Integration of AI and Technology: eCommerce players have a range of tools available to help them achieve success in the markets.AI is delivering solutions for cost savings removing resource requirement on content, customer service benefits by reducing SLA’s pricing and demand planning.

3.Acquisitions

Participants: Alex Lukashov, CEO at Fintent, Muddy Mat, Johannes Rossner [on behalf of Alpin Loacker and BBG), Daniel Mc Carthy, Co-Founder at Theta, Paul Hanley, Co-Founder at The Fortia Group and Withum CPAs.

Our Shark Tank Brands Were A Big Success:
- Introducing Muddy Mat – Impressive omnichannel pet brand coming to market in Q1 2024. Matthew, Andrew and Ikho gave a fantastic demo and financial performance overview of the brand.
- Alpin Loacker – EU based tech hiking clothing and equipment omnichannel brand.
- Berlin Brands Group – US portfolio. BBG wish to refocus efforts and as such are open to offers for their current US portfolio.

To learn more about any of the above deals, please contact The Fortia Group directly.

Daniel Mc Carthy, Co-Founder at Theta educated the crowd on valuations with this talk on “Uncovering Hidden Valuation Insight through Predictive Customer Value Analysis”, followed by a poll on current valuations observed in the market.

Poll no.1: What is the typical valuation range you are seeing for profitable Amazon FBA led brands?

Average valuation range: The average lower bound of the valuation range is approximately 2.86x, and the average upper bound is approximately 4.13x.
Lowest valuation range: The lowest valuation range given was 1x.
Highest valuation range: The highest valuation range provided was 8x
Please note all valuation ranges are EBITDA multiples.

Poll no.2: What is the typical valuation range you are seeing for DTC led brands?

Average valuation range: The average lower bound of the valuation range is approximately 3.78x, and the average upper bound is approximately 6.06x.
Lowest valuation range: The lowest valuation range given was 2x.
Highest valuation range: The highest valuation range provided was 12x.
Please note all valuation ranges are EBITDA multiples.

Paul Hanley, Co-Founder at The Fortia Group brought the audience through the firms new Buy-side diligence offering. The Fortia Group have been servicing investors and credit funds but are now formalizing their Buy-side diligence offering, a rapid initial target screen, to learn more please contact The Fortia Group directly.

04.Value Creation

Participants:

Will Holtz, Head of Operations at SourceMedium

Daniel Mc Carthy, Co-Founder at Theta

Robert Sperling, CEO at EastWest Basics

Rupesh Sanghavi, Founder & CEO at Ergode

Jim Stine, VP of sales at ShipPlug

Naseem Saloojee, Co-Founder at Carbon6

Kevin Fischer, President At KAPOQ

Bill Tauscher, CEO at Farallon Brands

Balaji Kolli Co-Founder at Saras Analytics

CFO Josh Holley at Bare Performance Nutrition

Jacob Cook, CEO at Tadpull

Heath Barnett, Head of SMB & Growth, North America at Airwallex

Jim Mann, VP of Europe at Getida

Ben Fletcher, CEO at The Mothership

Joseph Falcao, CFO at Orva

Shawn Dougherty, COO at Society Brands

Alex Urdea, Founder at Deep Ocean Partners

Key Takeaways:

Title sponsor Airwallex spoke about the important of localised payment options and how this was going to be crucial as part of a hyper-localised targeting strategy for eCommerce today and into the future.
Local payment methods accounted for 77% of transactions worldwide.
44% of consumers are likely to trust online shop that offers their preferred payment methods.
The supply chain panel agreed that the rise of manufacturers going direct to the customer via marketplaces will continue to cause difficulties for eCommerce acquirors. It will be difficult to compete on price, however, as always obsessing over CX, branding and marketing strategy always have their place in combatting this type of competition.
A common theme throughout value creation talks were the importance of visiting and developing relationship with suppliers globally. Often this can open up different credit terms or cost efficiencies over time.
Predications for 2024 on supply chain were mixed as we move further from a covid container spike yet current situations in Suez Canal may continue to cause delays and additional cost.
KAPOQ and Carbon 6 explained that obsessing over performance metrics and investment benchmarking were crucial for brands and operators to double down on, with new Amazon marketplace fees forecasted to hit 2024, operators should be focusing on where they can make savings and efficiencies within the P&L.
CFO Josh Holley brought this to life with insight into how his brand, Bare Performance Nutrition are optimizing with data support and help from Saras Analytics.
Scrutinizing costs and ensuring you are setup for future success was a common theme, Bill Tauscher at Farallon Brands explained the importance of agility in retail, the role of eCommerce and marketplaces, and a view on timing when discussing growth plans with big retail.
Conference Partners Jake Cook, CEO at Tadpull and Daniel Mc Carthy, Co-Founder at Theta discussed the importance of understanding and using data sets to help with prediction analysis or growth forecasting.

Poll no.3: What is your top financial and operational priorities for 2024?

Become cashflow positive: 45%
Increase corporate EBITDA margins: 23%
Revenue growth: 13%
Reduce leverage: 12%
Improve inventory turns: 7%

Poll no.4: What is your target for corporate EBITDA by end of 2024?

Unprofitable: 0%
1-5% margins : 20%
6-10% margins: 10%
11-15% margins: 60%
16-20% margins: 10%

Poll no.5: What will drive the biggest valuation (profit multiple on exit / listing) of aggregators?

Financial profile e.g. corporate EBITDA margin: 15%
Brands: revenue quantum, growth, net margins: 54%
Being truly omnichannel: 8%
Tech & Data competence: 0%
Scale efficiencies: 8%
Other: 1%

Need some comments from the finance and operations panel.

Need a comment from an investor in the space [ don’t name Alex Udea].

Need success stories comment, don’t need too much detail on that.

We thank all our sponsors, without them conferences like this would not be possible. We look forward to working closely with you all throughout 2024.

Airwallex | ConferenceTitle Sponsor
BigCommerce
Carbon6
Eastwest Basics
Factored Quality
Getida
Grips
KAPOQ
Saras Analytics
ShipPlug
Withum

As we mentioned at the event, this will become an annual event, and together, we look forward to making the next one bigger and better.

Key Takeaways From Our London Ecommerce Acquirors Conference

September 22, 2023

Key Takeaways From The First Ever Conference For eCommerce Brand Acquirors

June 16, 2023

Blog Summary

Read Time: 5 minutes

[Included Free Resources to Maximize your Valuation]

This year we hosted a panel discussion with seven lawyers with decades of eCommerce experience in both buy-side and sell-side M&A.

Both sides of the transaction agreed that if a founder had an unrealistic expectation regarding the valuation of their business (i.e. a valuation multiple that is not reflected in the market), it often led to an inability to renegotiate in due diligence, when issues would arise.

This would cause the deal to fail resulting in hundreds of hours in human resources and tens of thousands of dollars wasted.

If you are an eCommerce entrepreneur considering an exit in the near-term, having an accurate understanding of the valuation of your business better positions you to:

Attract the right buyer: Each buying firm has a specific acquisition criteria. To pitch to the right firm you need to understand the valuation of your business.
Aggressively negotiate the best offer (SDE/EBITDA multiple) within the bounds of the market.
Close the deal.

In this article, we will provide an overview of the business valuation multiples we are seeing in the eCommerce market and the best way to price above the averages. Then we will provide a list of free resources that will help you maximize the valuation of your eCommerce business ahead of an exit.

Our data comes from multiple seller and buyer surveys, closed deals, expert panels discussions with industry thought leaders, and current market trends.

SDE | EBITDA

There are two principle models for assessing the profitability of a commerce business: Seller’s Discretionary Earnings (SDE) and Earnings before Interest, Tax, Depreciation and Amortization (EBITDA).

Calculated SDE is typically used for FBA acquisitions <$10 million, where the entrepreneur’s salary is considered discretionary and added back to the company valuation.

EBITDA is used to calculate the full operating costs (salaries included) of a DTC business generally >$10 million with multiple stakeholders, or a more complex governance structure.

Let’s start with SDE valuation multiples we’re seeing in the current market.

SDE Multiples for FBA businesses

Valuation multiples for FBA businesses currently range from 2X – 5X SDE. In smaller markets, the multiple range can be lower due to lack of competition.

This multiple range includes the deferred component: stability payment, earnout. However, it excludes any equity incentive, for example share options in the acquiring firm. A survey from Q4, 2021 found on average 75% of the final consideration was paid upfront. This number has softened in recent months, and will continue to do so as buyers look to offset risk in a volatile market with larger deferred components.

Naturally, equity incentives are increasingly becoming a viable option.

In a recent webinar, Zack Flint, Chief M&A officer for D1 Brands stated that brand aggregation in the future will be more of a partnership between Amazon seller and FBA aggregator. This way, they will share in the upside and also the risk.

Valuation Multiples Timeline | FBA Businesses

Our data shows that valuations peaked summer 2021 and remained high till Q1, 2022. Prevailing headwinds (H2, 2021) such as supply chain issues, and increased PPC costs made it harder for entrepreneurs to consistently increase revenue and margins. Lack of sustainability signals risk which began to impact valuation multiples at the start of 2022.

Q1, 2021 – institutional buyers pursued businesses with >$1 million revenue; by Q4, 2021 this increased to >$3million. Currently, many in our buyer network will only consider businesses >$5 million. Many aggregators are looking to do fewer, bigger deals (with some exceptions).

Q2, 2022 – it was evident that there was no appetite for average businesses. As one CEO said in our digital event in June, “Average is not good enough anymore.” With increased market constrictions came greater scrutiny around revenue, margin and brand. There was a consensus that many of the brands that sold a year ago would struggle to find an acquirer, today.

In June 2022, we surveyed 35 aggregators and found that 47% of their completed deals were 3X – 4X SDE.

Check out a full breakdown of the survey here.

EBITDA Multiples for Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Businesses

Similarly, the multiple range for DTC eCommerce businesses (e.g. Shopify brands) peaked summer 2021 at 5X – 12X EBITDA having experienced higher consumer demand due to COVID. However, the iOS updates in Q2, 2021 began to limit consumer data on Facebook and Google, which began to impact recurring revenue and growth.

Currently, we are seeing deals in the multiple range of 2X – 9X EBITDA, which is a considerably wide range. These are typically much larger businesses, and the multiples exclude any equity incentives. In our experience, achieving the higher multiples are tied to attracting mid-market acquirers (>$10 million).

Source: Carta

However, war in Ukraine, rising interest rates and inflation have all impacted consumer demand, and Venture Capitalists (VC) have been investing less in consumer brands as a result (as image shows). These supply factors have made it more challenging to secure growth capital and scale a business into the mid-market, where the higher multiples are typically achieved.

How to Achieve the Higher Valuation Multiples | The Fortia Group

In a recent deal we completed, the difference between the highest and lowest offer was approximately 2X (including deferred).

With this degree of differentiation across the market, only the best prepared businesses with access to the deepest pool of potential buyers, will be able to inspire competitive bidding and command the higher multiples.

Experienced M&A Advisor = 25% Higher Offer

A seminal study from the University of Alabama spanning thirty years of acquisitions found having an experienced sell-side advisor increased the final consideration by up to 25%.

Experienced M&A advisors can achieve a higher valuations by:

Preparing your business to go to market: Financial audits, supply chain and compliance audits, marketing optimization, detailed product roadmap – all of these need to be correctly rendered and articulated to attract the right buyer.
Running a competitive auction: A direct sale tends to be less visible against the market, having the ability to conduct a competitive auction with a vast network of trusted acquirers (including P.E. firms and strategics) can spark a bidding war and drive up the valuation.
Leveling the negotiation table: Businesses are typically sold at a lower valuation due to entrepreneurs with no M&A experience negotiating against well resourced buyers.

Are you considering an exit in 2023, but would like to better understand how to get the best offer? Contact us today for a free consultation.

Free Resources to Maximize the Valuation of your eCommerce Business

Here are eight free resources that will help you better understand the eCommerce market, prepare your business correctly, and exit for the best valuation.