Established Independent Sales Agency, 100K+ SKUs, 1,700 Active Retailers

Wholesale broker for sale in San Diego Metro

Asking price

$250,000

Revenue

$1,201,011

Cash flow

$142,161

About this business

This is a 31-year-old independent wholesale sales agency ("rep group") representing about 50 small vendors across more than 100,000 SKUs. Reps take orders from retailers, vendors bill and ship directly, and the agency earns a 15% commission when the vendor is paid. There is no inventory risk, and about 80% of orders are now paid by credit card, so commissions convert to cash quickly.

The agency's niche is body, mind and soul — lines that speak to those stores, and that very few rep groups carry. Core products are consumable sidelines like incense and oils, which bring reps back into their accounts every 30 to 60 days rather than the 90 to 180 days customary in the gift trade. That cadence is what builds the strong, loyal, long-lasting retailer relationships the agency competes on. Core accounts are conscious living stores, independent health food stores and head shops — regional health food chains such as Lassen's and Mother's Market rather than nationals like Whole Foods or Sprouts — with recent expansion into airport retail (Marshall Retail Group), garden centers and independent hardware stores such as Ace. The business has reps in more than 20 states, sells across all 50 states, and its website accounts for an estimated 20% to 25% of sales.

The customer base is broad: about 1,700 active retail accounts, more than 8,000 retailers in its database, and no single account above roughly 2% of revenue. Average order size is about $700. The main competitor is Faire, an online wholesale marketplace; the agency competes on in-store rep service, a curated line card and a physical showroom.

The agency keeps a showroom at one of the major U.S. gift markets and exhibits there twice a year, in January and July. Those two shows bring in roughly 100 new retail accounts each and are the main source of new business. Vendors pay a showroom fee on top of commission, and the showroom is meant to break even. The lease was renegotiated in 2026 on improved terms that run through 2027 and extend the arrangement several years beyond; rent steps back up after the concession period, and a buyer should plan for that. The corporate office runs out of the owner's home, so the showroom is the only facility cost. In September 2026 the owner also paid off a high-interest loan, which removes roughly $106,000 a year in payments.

The sales team is made up of independent 1099 reps — four with the agency more than 20 years and four more than 8 — plus a small full-time staff. Over the past 18 months the owner has brought rep commissions down from about 58% of gross commission revenue to about 50%, partly by growing his own book from roughly $500,000 to about $1.25 million in annual sales, and a further restructuring of rep splits takes effect in 2027. The owner, now 77, is selling to step back from day-to-day rep management. He sees the largest opportunity in national expansion: AmericasMart in Atlanta, the country's largest gift market, has indicated it would offer the agency a showroom. He will provide as much transition support as a buyer needs and is open to an earnout tied to growth. Administrative training is minimal; the key skills a buyer needs are sales management and rep recruiting.

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