Not all independent advice is independent. Business valuer Bruce Coudrey explains the warning signs, the one question to ask, and why good advice pays.

Walk through the CBD of any Australian capital city and you can see the change for yourself. Ten years ago, city retail space was mostly shops, with cafes and restaurants filling the gaps. Today it has flipped. Food, coffee and experiences dominate, and traditional shopfronts are the minority. That happened in a single decade, and I suspect we have only seen the start of it. So it would be easy to conclude that retailing has all gone online, and that retail businesses are doomed. But have they? Is Bricks and Mortar Retail Dead in Australia? No. Not even close. The numbers tell a very different story to the headlines. The Australian Bureau of Statistics puts online sales at around 12 to 13 per cent of total retail turnover. That share has roughly doubled since 2019, which sounds dramatic until you turn it around: nearly nine dollars in every ten spent at Australian retailers still flows through, or around, a physical store. Australians spent about $82.6 billion online in 2025, up around 14 per cent on the year before according to the Australia Post eCommerce Report 2026, and about nine in ten households now buy something online at least occasionally. At the same time, total retail spending keeps growing. The ABS measured over $38 billion in monthly retail spending in early 2026, up about 5 per cent on a year earlier. Put those numbers together and the real story appears. Online and offline retail are not at war. They are converging. Even the biggest online-only brands keep opening physical stores, because a store builds trust and brand loyalty in ways a website simply cannot. Five Shifts Reshaping Australian Retail 1. Stores Are Becoming Experiences, Not Just Shelves Retailers used to be terrified of “showrooming”, where shoppers browse in store and then buy online at a better price. The smart operators have stopped fighting it. They have realised the store’s job has changed. It is no longer a warehouse with a till at the front. It is a place for customers to see, touch and learn, and the sale can happen wherever the customer prefers. Design the store around that idea and showroomers become customers instead of lost sales. 2. Data and AI Have Arrived on the Shop Floor Online retailers have always known exactly what their customers look at, linger on and abandon. Physical stores are catching up fast. Foot traffic counters, loyalty programs and AI forecasting tools are becoming normal equipment. The Australian Retail Outlook 2026, produced by KPMG and Inside Retail, found AI dominating the conversation among retail executives this year. For a small retailer the payoff is more down to earth: knowing your best sellers, your dead stock and your true margins, week by week rather than at stocktake time. 3. Checkout Is Disappearing Tap and go, mobile wallets, pre-order apps, self checkout. The payment step is becoming almost invisible, and retailers keep finding new ways to remove friction. Every second a customer doesn’t spend queuing is a customer more likely to come back. 4. Online and Offline Are Becoming One Business Click and collect. Ship from store. Returning an online purchase over the counter. None of this impresses customers any more, because they now expect it as standard. The retailers growing fastest in Australia run one inventory, one customer database and one brand across every channel, and treat the website and the shop as two doors into the same business. 5. Technology Handles the Routine, People Handle the Relationships Automation keeps absorbing the mundane work of retail: checkout, stock counts, reordering. That does not mean salespeople are disappearing. It means their job is improving. When the routine tasks are automated, good staff can spend their time on the one thing technology cannot do, which is building the relationships that bring customers back. What Does This Mean If You Own, or Want to Buy, a Retail Business? I have watched buyers change what they are willing to pay for. A retail business that is just a lease, some stock and a till is worth a little less every year. A retail business with a loyal customer database, an online sales channel, documented systems and a store people actually enjoy visiting commands a premium. The buyer is paying for a business built for where retail is going, not where it has been. If you own a retail business, the five shifts above are your to-do list, and your value-building plan. If you are thinking of buying a business in retail, they are your due diligence checklist. Either way, an independent business valuation will tell you exactly where the business stands today, and what it could be worth with the right changes. Frequently Asked Questions Is a retail business still a good business to buy in Australia? Yes, if you buy well. Total retail spending in Australia keeps growing, and physical stores still capture most of it. The best opportunities are established retailers with a strong location, loyal customers and obvious room to add online sales and better systems. What percentage of Australian retail is online? Around 12 to 13 per cent of total retail turnover, based on the most recent ABS figures. That is roughly double the share before 2020, and it grows a little every year. What makes a retail business valuable to buyers? Consistent profits, a favourable lease that can be transferred, a customer database, an established online channel, systems that run without the owner, and a store experience customers cannot get from a website. Should I sell my retail business now or wait? That depends on your numbers and your exit plan, not on the headlines. Start by having the business professionally valued. Then you can decide, with real data in front of you, whether to sell now or spend a year or two lifting its value first. About the Author Bruce Coudrey is the founder and Principal of Benchmark Business Sales & Valuations, one of Australia’s largest business brokerages, which he has led since 1999. A Registered Business Valuer and court appointed expert witness, Bruce has been involved in around 5,000 completed business sales and has valued small businesses since 2003. He was awarded the AIBB President’s Medal in 2010. Own a retail business and wondering what it is worth, or what it could be worth? Contact Bruce for a confidential chat.

Planning ahead gives you control. By making realistic, simple plans, you take control of your business and your future. There's a lot of truth in the old saying: "failing to plan is planning to fail." After more than 25 years selling and valuing Australian businesses, I'm still surprised by how many owners run excellent businesses without a business plan, a marketing plan, or an exit strategy. These three documents are what separate owners who leave on their own terms, at the best possible price, from owners who are forced to sell in a hurry and accept whatever the market offers. The Three Plans Every Business Owner Needs 1. A Business Plan A business plan gives your business structure, goals and direction. It doesn't need to be complicated. It needs to be realistic, written down, and reviewed regularly. It's the document that tells you (and your team) where the business is going and how it will get there. 2. A Marketing Plan A marketing plan is a tool that can be handed to others in your absence and, importantly, handed to the new owner when you eventually sell. A documented, proven marketing plan adds real value to your business at sale time , because the buyer is acquiring your knowledge of what works, not just your assets. Businesses that can run without the owner in the room consistently attract stronger offers. 3. An Exit Strategy (Succession Plan) An exit strategy, sometimes called a succession plan, is the most neglected of the three, and the most expensive to ignore. Every business will change hands eventually. An exit strategy lets you leave when you are ready, on your terms , not when illness, burnout, partnership disputes or market conditions force your hand. A well-planned exit typically delivers three things: the best possible sale price, a reduced tax liability, and maximum yield from the business while you still own it. What Happens Without an Exit Strategy? In my experience as a business broker and valuer, owners without an exit strategy usually share one problem: they have no idea what their business is really worth. Many discover, far too late, that the business won't sell for the price they had assumed, or that years of decisions have quietly eroded its value. That discovery leads to disappointment, financial stress, and in some cases a retirement that has to be postponed. It doesn't have to happen that way. A professional business valuation early in the process tells you exactly where you stand, and gives you time to fix the gaps between what the business is worth today and what you need it to be worth when you sell. How to Create a Business Exit Plan: 6 Steps Step 1: Get a professional valuation. Have the business valued by a qualified, registered business valuer. Not a guess, not an industry rumour, but an actual valuation based on real market data. Step 2: Calculate your current net position. Work out the current net worth of the business and what you would actually walk away with after debts, costs and tax. Step 3: Set your exit date and target figure. Plan dates and timeframes for your exit, and the projected net realisation you need from the sale. Step 4: Formulate the plan. Document how you'll close the gap: improving profitability, systemising operations, reducing owner-dependence, cleaning up the financials. Step 5: Review progress regularly. Check performance against the plan at least annually. An exit plan is a working document, not a drawer document. Step 6: Start early. The best time to start exit planning is the day you start (or buy) the business. The second-best time is now. Frequently Asked Questions What is a business exit strategy? A business exit strategy is a documented plan for how and when a business owner will leave the business, whether by sale, succession to family or management, or merger, and how they will maximise the price, minimise tax, and protect the business's value in the process. When should I start planning my business exit? Ideally from the day you start or buy the business. Practically, you should begin serious exit planning at least three to five years before you intend to sell. That gives you time to lift profitability, systemise the business, and present clean financial records to buyers. How do I find out what my business is worth? Engage a qualified business valuer. As an AIBB Registered Business Valuer, I base valuations on real settled-sale market data, not rules of thumb. Knowing the true value early is the foundation of every good exit plan. Learn more about business valuations here . Does an exit strategy add value even if I'm not selling soon? Yes. The work involved, such as documenting systems, reducing owner-dependence, and improving margins, makes the business more profitable and easier to run today, while making it more valuable and more saleable whenever you do decide to exit. Take the First Step Remember: planning ahead gives you control and direction. Whether you're thinking about selling your business in the next twelve months or simply want to know where you stand, the first step is the same: find out what your business is really worth. I've completed more than 5,000 business sales since 1999 and have been valuing Australian businesses since 2003, including as a court-appointed expert witness. If you'd like a confidential conversation about your exit plan or a business valuation , get in touch here .  Bruce Coudrey is the founder and Principal of Benchmark Business Sales & Valuations, one of Australia's largest business brokerages. He is a Certified Practicing Business Broker, AIBB Registered Business Valuer, and recipient of the AIBB President's Medal.

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