Consumer & Retail

Trusted by consumer & retail dealmakers

Investment banks, private equity firms and consumer brands trust Sterling to manage their most sensitive retail M&A, brand divestitures and portfolio transactions.

Asda, the UK-based supermarket, and its advisors Eastdil Secured, Goldman Sachs and J.P. Morgan, used Sterling Technology for the acquisition of the UK & Ireland petrol station business of TDR Capital-owned EG Group for

£2.1bn

Evri, the UK’s largest parcel delivery company, and its advisors Jamieson, Morgan Stanley and Rothschild, used Sterling Technology for its sale to Apollo Global Management from Advent International and Otto Group for

£2.7bn

Laboratorios Forenqui, the Spain-based manufacturer of personal, skin and home care products, and its advisor Alantra, used Sterling Technology for its sale to Sherpa Capital for

€30m

Juncà Gelatines, the Spain-based manufacturer of food ingredients, used Sterling Technology for its sale to Lapi Gelatine and Sviluppo Imprese Centro Italia of a stake of

60%

Equiniti Group, a London-listed international technology-led services and payments specialist, and its advisor Keenan Corporate Finance, used Sterling Technology for the sale of Equiniti HR Solutions to Civica Group for

£13m

Constant change defines
consumer and retail markets

Shifting demand, evolving supply chains, and portfolio realignments often force companies to divest non-core brands or raise capital to fund innovation. These processes depend on precision and speed. Sterling provides the infrastructure that keeps them moving. Our virtual data rooms simplify disclosure across finance, operations, and brand portfolios, while advanced redaction tools protect commercially sensitive data. Integrated analytics reveal buyer engagement and interest, helping advisors maintain competitive tension. With free deal preparation and 24/7 multilingual support, Sterling ensures that sellers and their advisors can launch fast, manage multiple bidders effortlessly, and close with confidence — protecting brand reputation and maximizing value in every transaction.

Why work with us on your next consumer & retail project?

From wellness brands attracting strategic interest to retail consolidations and take-private scenarios, every interaction with potential buyers must be carefully orchestrated. Sterling gives you complete control over your deal process with AI-powered document organization that structures brand financials automatically, analytics that reveal which buyers are most engaged with your key value drivers and granular permissions that protect your remaining portfolio strategy. When you're running tight timelines with demanding buyers, our 24/7 support and intuitive Q&A management ensure you present a professional, organized process that commands premium valuations.

Command premium valuations

Well-organized brand information, financial performance and customer data create buyer confidence and reduce perceived risk. Sterling's AI-powered organization structures your story logically, our intuitive navigation helps buyers find information quickly, and our professional presentation signals operational excellence. When your business is easy to understand and verify, strategic acquirers pay more for quality assets.

Protect brand equity during sale processes

Control which buyers see sensitive customer data, supplier agreements and strategic plans with Sterling's granular permissions. Our folder-level access controls protect remaining portfolio assets from buyers only interested in specific brands, our watermarking discourages inappropriate sharing, and our instant access revocation protects information if buyers exit the process. Maintain business momentum while running confidential processes that don't disrupt operations or alert competitors.

Manage multiple bidders efficiently

Track which buyers are most engaged with your omnichannel capabilities, DTC metrics or portfolio brands using Sterling's detailed analytics. Our activity reports show you who's spending time on key value drivers versus who's just browsing, helping you focus advisor resources on serious acquirers. Our Q&A management keeps buyer questions organized across multiple parties, ensuring consistent responses that create competitive tension rather than confusion.

Accelerate due diligence and time to close

Streamlined due diligence and organized documentation help buyers move faster through their approval processes. Sterling's intuitive structure reduces buyer questions about where to find information, our bulk upload means you can respond quickly to document requests, and our 24/7 support ensures nothing stalls over weekends or holidays. Reduce the risk of deal fatigue and maintain pricing power with efficient execution that keeps momentum.

Consumer & retail use cases

Sterling supports the full spectrum of consumer and retail transactions, from brand divestitures to take-private deals.

Consumer brand divestiture

Selling individual brands requires demonstrating brand equity and growth potential while protecting broader portfolio strategy. Sterling's AI-powered document organization structures brand financials, customer data and market positioning automatically, while granular permissions ensure buyers only access relevant brand information – protecting your remaining portfolio assets and future plans.

Consumer portfolio company exit

Private equity-backed consumer exits demand clear presentation of value creation – comparable store sales growth, margin improvement and omnichannel progress. Sterling's analytics show you which buyers spend most time on key value drivers, helping you focus on serious acquirers. Our Q&A management keeps buyer questions organized and ensures consistent responses across your deal team.

Retail chain sale or restructuring

Multi-location retail transactions involve complex store-by-store economics and lease obligations. Sterling's bulk upload and auto-indexing organize property-level P&Ls, lease terms and demographics efficiently, while our folder structure helps buyers navigate location data easily. When you're managing tight restructuring timelines, our 24/7 support ensures nothing slows your process.

Consumer or retail take-private transaction

Public consumer companies going private must manage confidential discussions while maintaining stock exchange and regulatory compliance. Sterling's audit trails and permission controls let you manage go-shop periods professionally, controlling exactly what each potential sponsor sees and when. Our detailed activity reports show board members and counsel precisely who accessed what information throughout the process.

Features that organize complex brand portfolios and control competitive retail transaction processes

Sterling's AI engine structures brand-level financials, customer data and operational metrics automatically — cutting deal prep time dramatically for multi-brand divestitures. Granular permissions protect remaining portfolio assets while sharing target brand information, automated redaction efficiently handles sensitive supplier agreements and customer contracts, and advanced Q&A workflows manage multiple bidder inquiries. Real-time analytics reveal which buyers focus on DTC capabilities versus wholesale relationships, helping you identify strategic versus financial buyer priorities.

Document approval

Prep your deal fast and stay compliant with built-in document review and approval.

Document protection

Granular information rights management to keep you in control of what you share with bidders — and revoke access immediately.

Q&A

Simple or advanced Q&A workflows that align to your deal process.

Redaction & translation

Our automated redaction tool operates across the whole VDR, saving valuable time and costs preparing sensitive information for external review.

Built-in, automatic, side-by-side translation of VDR content between 300 language pairs keeps your cross-border deals moving.

Reporting

Real-time dashboards and reports to keep you informed of deal activity and provide strategic intelligence on bidder behavior.

Sterling's unique, built-in AI engine embeds capabilities such as document classification and organization, gap analysis, anomaly detection and document-level Q&A intelligence into the VDR. Launch deals faster – cutting data room prep time from weeks to days – while allowing bidders and investors to complete due diligence more quickly, to close your transaction.

Prep your deal fast and stay compliant with built-in document review and approval.

Granular information rights management to keep you in control of what you share with bidders — and revoke access immediately.

Simple or advanced Q&A workflows that align to your deal process.

Our automated redaction tool operates across the whole VDR, saving valuable time and costs preparing sensitive information for external review.

Built-in, automatic, side-by-side translation of VDR content between 300 language pairs keeps your cross-border deals moving.

Real-time dashboards and reports to keep you informed of deal activity and provide strategic intelligence on bidder behavior.

Multilingual 24/7 support for consumer & retail deals

Sterling stands out for the way we support every consumer & retail transaction. From early preparation and data room set-up through intensive due diligence and on to signing and closing, we operate as a true extension of your deal team.

We can structure and build your data room, advise on folder and index design, upload content, apply granular permissions, configure Q&A workflows, create bidder and advisor teams, invite users, train them on the platform and much more.

Our in-house multilingual support team is available 24/7/365 by phone or email, with an experienced deal manager assigned to every project. Unlike others, we never push “out-of-hours” or weekend calls to generic third-party call centers.

When it is time to sign or close, we deliver encrypted deal archives and comfort letters at speed, anywhere in the world, so your consumer & retail transaction can move forward without delay.