Gross margin by category
Spirits, wine, and beer carry very different margins. Documented category-level performance is what convinces a buyer the earnings are real.
El Paso Owner's Guide · Liquor & Package Stores
How to Sell a Liquor Store in El Paso, Texas
Package stores sell steadily and finance well when three things are true: the margins are documented, the inventory turns, and the lease has room to run. Permitting is handled as a buyer-side process, and we sequence it into the closing schedule from day one.
- 2×–4×
- Typical multiple of owner earnings, plus saleable inventory
- $5M
- SBA 7(a) financing available to qualified buyers
- 100%
- Confidential — staff and competitors never know
The Local Market
What buyers pay for in an El Paso package store
El Paso's density, cross-border traffic, and neighborhood loyalty make good store locations scarce and valuable. Buyers here are experienced retailers who read a margin report faster than they read a pro forma.
Inventory that turns
Turns tell a buyer how much capital the store actually needs. Aged and slow-moving stock is not value, it is a discount.
Lease term and location
A long, assignable lease in a proven corridor is often the store's single most valuable transferable asset.
Systems, staffing, and compliance discipline
Point-of-sale reporting, documented age-verification procedures, trained staff, and a clean operating record all protect the price.
Free Estimator · No Email Required
What is my El Paso liquor store worth?
Move the slider. This uses owner's discretionary earnings (SDE) — your net profit plus your salary, personal expenses run through the business, interest, depreciation, and one-time costs. Saleable inventory is typically valued in addition.
$180,000 / year
$40K$1.2M
Which of these are true today?
Illustrative Range
Estimated enterprise value
$450,000 – $774,000
That’s roughly 2.5× to 4.3× your owner’s earnings, before any real estate you own.
Every box you check is a lever you can still pull before you list. Owners who fix the books and the lease first routinely land at the top of their range instead of the bottom.
Illustration only — not an appraisal or an offer.
Step by Step
The six steps that get a liquor store sold — in that order.
- 01
Reconcile earnings and take a real inventory count
Three years of P&Ls and tax returns, reconciled, plus category-level sales and margin, inventory at cost with age and turns, and vendor terms.
- 02
Commission an independent, certified valuation
Not a broker's opinion. We commission a certified valuation from an independent NACVA-credentialed appraiser — the caliber of report banks, buyers, the IRS, and courts rely on. It sets a defensible price and survives diligence.
- 03
Clear the slow movers before you list
Convert dead stock to cash. The inventory a buyer pays for should be inventory that sells, and this is money you keep rather than negotiate over.
- 04
Fix what diligence will find
Lease term and assignment, sales tax filings, point-of-sale records, staff training documentation, equipment and cooler condition, and any open compliance matters. Permitting requirements for the incoming owner are mapped at this stage.
- 05
Market it confidentially — never with a sign
No sign in the window and no address in an ad. We market blind to vetted, financially qualified retail buyers under NDA, and walk-throughs look like ordinary shopping visits.
- 06
Negotiate, survive diligence, and close
Offers, escrow, lease assignment, the buyer's permitting timeline, an inventory count at closing, and funding. We build the permitting sequence into the schedule so closing is not held hostage by it.
Costly Mistakes
Six mistakes that cost liquor store owners real money.
Assuming the buyer's permitting takes care of itself
A new owner must qualify for and obtain what the store requires in their own name. Mapped early it is routine; ignored until closing week it stalls the deal.
Running sales off the books
Unreported revenue cannot be financed and cannot be paid for. It costs you a multiple of itself at the closing table.
Expecting retail price for inventory
Buyers pay cost for current, saleable goods at a closing count. Sticker value is not the measure.
Letting the lease run short
Location is the business in package retail. A short or non-assignable lease hands your landlord leverage over your exit.
Telling the staff
Word travels to customers and competitors fast. Confidentiality protects the sales the buyer is paying for.
Pricing off gross sales
Buyers price documented owner's earnings. A revenue-based asking price sits on the market and then closes lower.
Sold in This Industry
We don’t learn your industry on your deal.
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SoldQuestions Owners Ask
Liquor Store owners ask us these first.
Straight answers, no hedging. If yours isn’t here, call us and ask it directly.
Profitable package stores commonly trade between roughly 2 and 4 times owner's discretionary earnings, with saleable inventory valued in addition. Documented margins, inventory turns, lease strength, and owner-independence determine where you land. Only a certified independent valuation survives a lender's underwriting.
As a buyer-side process. The incoming owner must qualify for and obtain the permits the store requires in their own name, and we build that timeline into the closing schedule from the beginning. Confirm the specific requirements and any personal obligations with your own attorney.
Typically it is handled separately and counted at closing, valued at cost for current, saleable product. Slow-moving and unsaleable stock is generally excluded or discounted, which is why clearing it beforehand pays you directly.
Qualified buyers can often access SBA 7(a) financing up to $5 million, subject to the lender's own policies for the category. It requires clean, reconciled financials and a defensible independent valuation. SBA pre-qualification is a preliminary, non-binding lender assessment, not a loan commitment.
Not from us. Your store is marketed blind to vetted buyers who sign a non-disclosure agreement before they learn the address.
Report everything, clear the dead inventory, and extend the lease. Those three steps move your price more than anything that happens in negotiation.
Where we work
Liquor Store owners we represent across El Paso, West Texas, and southern New Mexico
Whether your liquor store sits on the east side, downtown, out in the valley, or across the state line in Doña Ana County, the sale process is the same: verified financials, an independent certified valuation, and a confidential, competitive market of qualified buyers. We meet owners at a time and place of their choosing.
- El Paso
- West El Paso & Upper Valley
- East El Paso
- Northeast El Paso
- Central & Downtown
- Horizon City
- Socorro
- San Elizario
- Clint & Fabens
- Canutillo
- Anthony, TX & NM
- Fort Bliss corridor
- Las Cruces, NM
- Sunland Park, NM
- Doña Ana County
- Alamogordo & Deming, NM
- Van Horn & Fort Hancock
- Midland & Odessa
Liquor Store Owners · Confidential
Find out what your store is actually worth.
One confidential conversation with a partner — not a coordinator. We will tell you where your numbers put you today, what would move the multiple, and whether now is your moment.
- Confidential — nothing is shared or listed without your written consent.
- A reply within one business day, usually the same afternoon.
- No fee, no obligation, and no pressure for the first conversation.