Off Licence acquisition: a first-time buyer declined twice on experience

The background

The buyer had found a well-established off-licence and had the deposit ready. The business itself was exactly the kind lenders like — steady weekly trade and a loyal local customer base. The problem was the buyer.

The sticking point

With no retail track record, the first two lenders declined the application on experience alone. Nothing about the business was in question — the concern was whether a first-time operator could sustain its performance from day one.

The way past it

The answer was not a different business or a bigger deposit — it was strengthening the team behind the application. On our recommendation, the buyer recruited a full-time manager with six years' relevant experience. We then rebuilt the application around that strengthened operating structure and returned to the lender.

The result

With the experience gap addressed directly, the lender was satisfied and the funding was approved. The acquisition completed.

The acquisition completed.

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