What records should I prepare before selling my liquor store?

Buyers of a liquor store are buying a record of how the store runs. The licence and regulator history matter, and our selling guide covers them. This page is about the operating file that sits beside them. The sooner it is organized, the fewer questions slow the sale, and the easier it is for a buyer’s lender and accountant to follow your numbers.

Sales and purchase records

Gather till and point-of-sale exports for the full period you want a buyer to rely on. Add the wholesale invoices for the same period, so that purchases and sales can be matched, along with card-processor and bank statements. If the records disagree anywhere, find out why before the buyer does and write the explanation down.

Stock, shrink and supplier terms

Pull your stock-count history and show how shrink is tracked and written off. Collect supplier agreements and any rebate or pricing terms, and note which depend on your membership or relationships. A buyer will ask whether those terms continue after a change of owner, so find out the answer from each supplier in advance.

People, premises and dead stock

Prepare the staff roster, schedules and training records, and be ready to explain who covers which shifts. Add the lease with its renewal options, since the buyer will need the right to occupy the premises, which depends on the lease terms. Make a list of dead stock well before the closing count, and decide with your lawyer how it will be handled. What happens to gift cards when a store sells is worth reading as well.

• Till exports, invoices, card and bank statements
• Stock-count and shrink history
• Supplier and rebate terms
• Staff roster, schedules and training
• Lease and renewal options