Zig Ziglar famously said, “You can have everything in life that you want if you will just help enough other people get what they want.” Entrepreneurship in the retail space has been around since farmers started selling their excess crops and hunters their production that exceeded the needs of their family. Significant fortunes have been made in the retail sector by supplying what is needed/wanted at a specific time and location. One of my favorite stories from entrepreneurial history is that of Sam Brannan, who made his fortune selling mining & prospecting supplies in California during the gold rush (https://priceonomics.com/how-epic-fortunes-were-created-during-the/). In IBA’s 52 years as a business brokerage firm serving the entrepreneurial communities of Washington & Oregon, we have sold 100’s of successful retail business models (Brick & Mortar and Ecommerce) for clients that have provided customers with the items that they wanted/needed in a timely manner from a convenient location.
Interestingly, one of the first Ecommerce companies that IBA sold, Northwest Treasure Supply, was a company in direct product line lineage from Sam Brannan’s gold mining equipment store, a catalog retailer selling metal detecting and prospecting equipment that prudently took their merchandise online when the opportunity first presented itself growing into a significant company with strong domestic and global demand for their products. Ecommerce is a wonderful venue for selling products that do not have the local demand to justify the labor, occupancy, and overhead costs of maintaining a storefront and for entrepreneurial success. The spectrum of product lines fulfilled by the Ecommerce companies IBA has sold has as many varieties as color possibilities on a painter’s palette. Past transaction examples include Henniger Holdings which sold automotive & pet items (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-jeffrey-heininger-of-heininger-holdings/); Old Cities which sold estate jewelry with their pieces often making red carpet appearances at the Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys on the necks, arms, and fingers of celebrities preferring to accessorize with a classic touch; Buck & Buck (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-bill-and-julie-buck-of-buck-buck/) which developed and sold a line of apparel for the elderly and physically impaired; Insect Sales, a company which dropped shipped the food necessary to fulfill the dietary needs of reptiles & amphibians; and Chasing Treasure (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-karen-mollison-of-peek-a-boo-creations-chasing-treasure/), an online retailer of jewelry boxes, music boxes, and watch boxes.
In 2026, people frequently order products online for convenient delivery to their homes. However, entrepreneurial success continues to be found by many through development and intelligent management of physical retail locations.
Successful retail businesses in the 21st century can commonly be divided into four categories:
Essential Products
Food, fuel, home improvement, beauty, and other products often have immediate fulfillment needs by consumers. IBA is recognized regionally for its ability to sell these types of businesses, often in a comprehensive representation package that includes real estate. Recently completed projects by IBA involving essential products have included The Farmhouse Market (https://www.farmhousemarket.com/), Elger Bay Grocery & Gifts (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-josh-flickner-elger-bay-grocery-and-gifts/), Country Corner Grocery & Deli (https://www.facebook.com/countrycornergrocery#), and Orcas Village Store (https://orcasvillagestore.com/). Current projects on the market in this pace include a grocery store on the Olympic Peninsula, a hardware store in Eastern Washington, and a Big Box Retal Chain of Discount Merchandise.
Location Driven Retail
Essential product retail locations are a component to companies in this space. The smaller the community, the less options to purchase products. Rural location retailers also benefit from lower levels of national chain and big box retail competition. Selling essential products can be professionally rewarding and financially lucrative, but is may not be as “fun” as selling to a customer base on vacation looking to manifest a positive memory with a purchase. IBA recently completed the sale of Dueber’s in Cannon Beach, Oregon and its affiliated retail sister store in Seaside. For generations, these businesses have been destinations frequented by Oregon Coast vacationers looking for the right piece of apparel or item. In Seattle, IBA supported the sale of Simply Seattle (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-michel-brotman-simply-seattle/), a must visit location for people wanting anything from a pepper grinder in the shape of the Space Needle to a Griffey Mariner’s jersey to Smoked Salmon or Washington wine to take home.
Products That Need to Be Touched or Tested
How many times have you bought something online and had to return it because it did not perform as advertised, was not the right color, or did not fit properly. Certain products are best inspected and purchased in person. Transactions facilitated by IBA that have included these type of product lines have ranged from shoes (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-michael-la-moria-mephisto-shoes/) to sailboats (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-jeanna-jim-rard-marine-servicenter/) to kitchen tools & products (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-harry-caraco-kitchen-company/) to hot tubs (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-mike-nekahi-khasha-mekanik-black-pine-spas/) to furniture (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-joey-ghioni-ballard-consignment/) to sporting goods (https://ibainc.com/blog/nesha-ruther/the-story-of-rick-bauman-play-it-again-sports/). IBA is always bringing to market interesting and lucrative specialized retailers. These type of acquisition opportunities currently on the market with IBA include a car dealership, boat dealership, multiple location cookie retailer, shoe store, and organic farm with a large retail venue where fresh produce, condiments, and wine are sold.
Retailers in the Right Time & Place
Successful entrepreneurs are often at the right place and time in history. Sam Brannan was definitely there during the California Gold Rush. Presently, the Baby Boomer generation is aging and their needs are creating economic opportunities. Buck & Buck, which was highlighted in the Ecommerce section of this article, was one company that IBA sold that fulfilled a need in this space. Access Medical, a company that sold & rented hospital beds, lift chairs, and other equipment was another IBA sold that addressed needs for this demographic group. Retail opportunities in this area can also be more short lived, but for a time very lucrative for entrepreneurs. Corbet & Joanne Richter, owned a combination florist and Hallmark shop in North Bend, Washington (https://ibainc.com/blog/david-garfield/the-story-of-joanne-corbet-richter-alpine-blossom-gift-shoppe/. It was very successful and a destination for local residents for products to support life & annual events from birthdays to weddings to Christmas. However, they took their business to another gear by leaning into two short term economic surges. The first one was the Twin Peaks craze associated with finding out who killed Laura Palmer. T shirts, hoodies, and other items featuring the cast & iconic elements of the series filmed in North Bend merchandised in a special store section had constant traffic for years after the show stopped being produced. Similarly, recognizing a time & place opportunity the Richters became a retail outlet for the sale of Beannie Babies purchasing as much of the product as they could. Lines formed daily outside their store during the height of the craze (https://www.history.com/articles/how-the-beanie-baby-craze-came-to-a-crashing-end) helping to facilitate an earlier retirement by giving the people what they wanted. The secret sauce to entrepreneurial success is the business acumen and executive management skill of ownership. Eagles soar and chickens stay grounded as business owners. Spending money and risk are table stakes for success.
IBA welcomes the opportunity to facilitate transactions in the retail sector. We have decades of experience related to how to properly value both brick & mortar and Ecommerce businesses; negotiate deals so all appropriate i’s are dotted and t’s are crossed, obtain financing so sellers can be cashed out at time of sale, and facilitate lease assignments or property sales. If you are interested in selling or buying a retail sector business in 2027, our transaction team specializing in this segment of the economy would welcome the opportunity to meet with you, learn about your business & exit strategy objectives, and provide an overview of our client services. All communication with IBA is held in strict confidence. IBA only seeks compensation for our services upon successful completion of a project.
IBA, the Pacific Northwest’s premier business brokerage firm since 1975, is available as an information resource to the media, business brokerage, mergers & acquisitions, real estate, legal, accounting, banking, and wealth management communities on subjects relevant to the purchase & sale of privately held companies and family businesses. IBA is recognized as one of the best business brokerage firms in the nation based on its long track record of successfully negotiating “win-win” business sale transactions in environments of full disclosure employing “best practices”.