Buy a Liquor Store: Verify Earnings, Stock and Proposed Operating Rights

Verify fulfilled sales and annual operating costs

Sample POS transactions through discounts, refunds, provider charges, settlement and collection. Reconcile beer, wine, spirits, delivery, related merchandise and agency activity with annual accounts and tax filings without counting a sale and its payout twice. Resolve unexplained cash with the accountant; do not project unrecorded sales as dependable acquisition earnings.

Include actual purchases, stock losses, staffing/supervision, premises, utilities, equipment/security, payment/delivery and shared costs across the full year. Review each earnings adjustment and the required ongoing work using the liquor financial guide. Proposed delivery expansion, premium stock and seller-described license scarcity need separate evidence and cost assumptions.

Verify counted stock and supplier obligations

Reconcile dated physical counts, invoices/credits and consistent valuation bases. Review ownership, consignment, liens, damage, slow movement and unresolved sourcing/sellability questions appropriately. Specify eligible stock, included versus additional price, count date, pricing basis and disputes. A seller ledger is separate from a negotiated value for the goods actually received.

Read purchasing, credit, allocation, exclusivity, returns and ownership-change terms with advisors. Check whether proposed buyer access to suppliers and premium allocations is confirmed rather than assuming historic relationships continue. Inspect offered equipment title, leases, maintenance, condition and required investment; supplier/landlord-owned items are separate from owned acquisition assets.

Resolve the proposed buyer’s permissions and people

TTB’s retailer overview addresses federal registration and ownership/control or location changes.

Have advisors and authorities assess the proposed buyer/entity, transaction structure, actual holder, location/activity, federal registration and separate state/local alcohol conditions. Review actual delivery, hours, use and additional-service questions. Document application/consent conditions and sequence; no fixed approval window or blanket transferability is assumed.

Use the consent register for premises rent, renewal, permitted use, assignment and landlord consent. Map ordering, receiving, stock/cash control, sales and delivery supervision using the coverage worksheet. Verify available permanent people and recurring cost beyond seller training.

Fund stock replenishment and continuing obligations

SBA acquisition guidance encourages review of investment and operating costs.

Model actual stock purchases, supplier terms, payroll, settlement, refunds, rent, repairs and reserves alongside price, financing, required investment and transition. Test slower trading and delayed permissions with explicit assumptions. Financing approval does not independently prove value or permission to operate; check actual lender conditions using the financing guide.

Define stock/equipment, deposits, stored value, accepted orders, claims and receivables/payables using the delivery guide; identify who funds and completes remaining service. FTC guidance addresses necessary access and secure handling.

Use approved redacted financial, customer and personnel samples and resolve actual POS, payment, delivery-platform, phone and website rights through permitted access.