How do I check a tile store’s online sales before buying?

A tile store may say it sells online, and that can mean very different things. It might be a few phone orders that came from the website, or a real channel with its own shipping, returns and advertising. Before you count online sales as part of the business, find out what they are, where they come from and whether they will stay after the sale.

Separate online orders from the showroom

Ask for sales reports that show website orders, marketplace orders and showroom sales on their own lines. If the seller cannot split them, ask how they decide what counts as online. Compare the split against the financial statements so that the same sale is not counted twice, and ask your accountant to help you read the result. A similar check for a thrift store may give you more questions.

Confirm who owns the digital assets

The website, domain name, ad accounts, marketplace accounts and social pages should normally be in the business’s name, not in a former employee’s or a web designer’s. Ask who holds the logins. Put the transfer of each one in the purchase agreement, so that nothing on the list stays behind with the seller.

Look at samples, freight and breakage

Ask how the store ships, who pays freight, how breakage claims are handled, and how many orders come back. Sample orders can be a cost or a sales tool, so ask whether they convert into full orders. Ask also about returns of cut or special-order tile.

Know who the online buyers are

Ask which group the online sales come from, and whether large online retailers sell the same lines for less. That tells you whether the showroom is helped or hurt by the website. If the seller’s customer list is part of the deal, ask your lawyer how it may be used after closing.