How to Value a E-commerce & Retail Business
What e-commerce & retail businesses sell for in 2026, what drives value in the sector, and how to estimate your own — in about ten seconds.
Public EV/EBITDA
12.0×
Typical private range
3.6–8.4×
EV/Sales
1.0×
Public multiples: Damodaran, NYU Stern, January 2026. Private range applies SellSide's size discount. Indicative only.
What drives value in e-commerce & retail
Brand strength, repeat-purchase rate, margin after fulfilment, and how dependent sales are on paid ads versus organic demand.
The headline multiples above are public-company averages. A private business almost always sells for less — smaller companies carry more risk, are harder to sell quickly, and are often more dependent on the owner. That's why the typical private range sits well below the public figure, with the smallest businesses at the bottom of it.
Worked example
A e-commerce & retail business earning $500,000 of EBITDA, valued at the middle of the private range (~6.0×), would be worth around $3,000,000 — before adjusting for growth, margins and country.
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