Shaw & Co, the specialist corporate finance advisory firm, has launched an interim analysis of the Wholesale & Retail Trade industry.

The report, which features a summary of M&A deals that have been completed since the launch of Shaw & Co’s annual Wholesale & Retail Trade report in June, provides SMEs with valuable insight regarding their latest acquisition prospects.

Deal activity has been buoyant in the W&RT industry in the past five months as larger companies look to scale their operations to take advantage of the strategic benefits of an acquisition.

A number of headwinds – rising inflation and the worsening geopolitical situation – mean that the level of M&A activity seen over this period may not continue. Confidence is key to dealmaking, and uncertain economic conditions can cause buyers to ‘pull the plug’.

The report’s key findings include:

• 55 M&A Deals: Deal activity during this period has been in line with other industries we are tracking.

• 65% of Buyers From UK: The majority of buyers are based in the UK or have a significant presence in the country. However the UK still remains popular for foreign investment.

• 42% of Deals in the South East: The South-East proved popular for deal activity as well as the North of England.

• 60% of Deals in Wholesale: Wholesale proved to be the most popular subsector for deals, a change from the previous period when the retail subsector provided the most deals. This is likely due to the current squeeze on consumer spending.

A full copy of the report is available here

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