Valuing an online store
A buyer of an online store pays for predictable sales: how many customers come back and what each new one costs.
What raises and lowers the value
- Share of repeat purchases
- Customer acquisition cost and its trend
- Dependence on one ad platform or marketplace
- Margin after delivery, returns and fees
- Stock, inventory and how easily it sells
- Suppliers and the risk of losing them
What a buyer checks
- Revenue and profit by month and by channel
- Customer analytics: repeat orders, average order value
- Ad spend and its payback
- Stock levels and inventory turnover
- Rights to the domain, site, accounts and brand
Frequently asked questions
How is an online store valued?
Most often on owner profit or EBITDA over 12–24 months, adjusted for repeat purchases, traffic channels and stock.
Why does dependence on platforms matter?
If sales come through one channel, a change of rules or ad prices can hit the business hard, and the buyer allows for that.
Is the stock included in the price?
Usually inventory is valued separately at cost, adjusted for how easily it sells, and added to the value of the business.
What raises the value of a store?
A growing share of repeat customers, several traffic channels, a steady margin and transferable rights to the domain and accounts.
This material is informational and is not legal, tax or investment advice. A valuation is a range, not a guaranteed deal price.