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For Brands 12–24 Months From Exit

Your multiple is built
over months —
not weeks before close.

The brands that command the highest multiples in apparel brand M&A do not build their exit story during the process. They build it in the 12 to 24 months before the process starts. Pre-Sale Advisory is how you do that — systematically, with a clear strategy for every metric that buyers pay premiums for.

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Principal-led by Shabbir Sharaf. Supported by a curated associate network of ex-Amazon, ex-Microsoft, ex-Boeing, and ex-Starbucks operators for specialist depth.
Discuss Your Exit Timeline See Acquisition Prep →
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Exit planning conversations are sensitive. Every discussion is conducted under NDA and treated with complete confidentiality.
12–24
Month Horizon
6 Month
Minimum Engagement
0.5x–1.5x
Target Multiple Improvement
The Problem With Waiting

What a 90-day sprint cannot fix

Founders often engage an advisor six to twelve weeks before going to market. That timeline is enough to clean up the presentation. It is not enough to move the underlying metrics that drive multiples.

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Trailing Metrics Are the Story
Buyers look at 12–24 months of trailing data. Margin improvements made last month do not show up meaningfully in a 24-month trend. Supply chain restructuring, return rate improvement, and channel diversification all need time to appear in the trailing numbers buyers use to set multiples.
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Return Rate Normalisation Takes Time
A return rate that has been trending in the wrong direction takes two to three seasons to reverse credibly — because buyers look at the trend, not the most recent quarter. Addressing the root cause now gives you the trail of improving data that buyers will pay a premium for.
🔧
Supply Chain Documentation Cannot Be Assembled Quickly
Buyers of apparel brands want to see factory relationships documented, tariff exposure assessed, and sourcing geography explained. Assembling this cleanly requires the underlying relationships and records to already exist — not be constructed during due diligence. Time is the variable you cannot buy back.
Apparel-Specific Exit Complexity
Apparel exits carry specific complexities that generic pre-sale advisory misses. Buyers will scrutinize return rate trajectory by SKU, factory dependency and tariff exposure in the supply chain, seasonal inventory position relative to the buy cycle, and whether the channel mix demonstrates any wholesale proof of concept beyond Amazon. We address all of these in the pre-sale window — because they directly affect the story buyers are willing to pay a premium for.
"The founder who starts thinking about exit 18 months out and the founder who starts 60 days out are not competing for the same multiple. One builds it systematically. The other hopes buyers do not notice. In apparel, the supply chain story, the return rate trend, and the channel mix take the longest to fix — and they matter most to sophisticated buyers."
Every month you wait is a month of compounding improvement you will not have. If exit is in your 12-month horizon, the conversation starts now.
Discuss Your Exit Timeline →
The Strategy

What we build toward over 12 to 24 months

01
Exit Multiple Baseline & Target
We begin by establishing exactly where you stand today — current multiple based on trailing economics, account health, catalog composition, and competitive positioning. Then we model where you need to be and build a month-by-month roadmap to get there.
02
Margin & Economics Improvement
We systematically improve the economics that buyers pay for. Contribution margin improvement through fee optimization, PPC efficiency, and catalog rationalization. The goal is a clean, improving margin trend in the trailing 24 months that buyers walk into confidently.
03
Organic Ranking & Channel Health
We build the organic ranking strength and account health profile that commands premium multiples. Reducing PPC dependency. Strengthening keyword positions organically. Maintaining clean account health metrics. These improvements compound over time and show clearly in trailing data.
04
Exit Narrative Development
As metrics improve, we build the narrative. The Amazon channel story that positions your brand compellingly for acquirers. Category leadership data, competitive positioning, growth opportunities. The CIM Amazon section, pre-prepared due diligence package, and data room ready before you need them. For apparel brands specifically: supply chain documentation, factory relationship summary, return rate analysis by SKU, sourcing geography and tariff exposure assessment. The apparel-specific sections buyers request that most sellers are unprepared to provide.

If exit is in your 12-month horizon — the conversation starts now.

Pre-Sale Advisory engagements have a minimum 6-month term because the improvements that move multiples take time. Every month you wait is a month of compounding improvement you will not have.

Discuss Your Exit TimelineSee Acquisition Prep Package
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