Source: Radio New Zealand
For Sale Sign RNZ / Angus Dreaver
The sale of small- and medium-sized businesses continues to increase along with prices, though there’s been a shift in the mix of buyers and sellers.
ABC Business Sales managing director Chris Small said demographic data was showing unexpected trends.
- About 60 percent of sellers are not baby boomers.
- 47 percent of purchasers are more than 46 years old.
- Demographic change as NZ Europeans make up 67 percent of sellers, with Indians, Asians and other ethnicities making up 47 percent of buyers.
- Completed business sales have reached a record 514 in the year ended March 2026 – up 21 percent on 2025.
- AI’s effect on future job security has emerged as a reason for new purchasers to buy a business.
- Wholesale & distribution businesses attract the highest average price ($1.58 million), followed by agribusinesses ($1.36m) while hospitality attracts the lowest average price ($245,000).
Small said the outlook for sales growth would be guided by the number of listings, which was expected to remain little changed over the year to March 2027.
He said business owners were expected to hold back on going to market until earnings improved, perhaps in the second half of the year.
“We also believe the election and the Iran war will result in a slowing down of business sales over the next six months,” he said.
“Demand represented by volumes of signed confidentiality agreements will continue to increase, but at more subdued rates of 5-10 percent vs the 25-30 percent of the last two years.
“The historical drivers of immigration and unemployment are both forecast to decline in the next 12 months.”
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– Published by EveningReport.nz and AsiaPacificReport.nz, see: MIL OSI in partnership with Radio New Zealand
