Car Detailing
This page summarizes the published SME benchmark for this business type, including its disclosed market basis, so advisors and operators can cite a clear starting point before a full company-specific valuation.
Business type benchmark
Last published: 13 Apr 2026fresh · 51 days old≈ 6 min readEndpoint
Model-ready data package
Pull this sector's multiples together with country market data in one response. Use JSON for agents and apps, or CSV for Excel models and deal workpapers.
/api/benchmarks/v1/context?business_type_id=car-detailing&locale=enClassification
45.20.1
NACE Rev. 2 primary code. National statistical labels (e.g. SBI, NACE-BEL) describe how each country maps this activity.
Markets
Benelux aggregate
Published benchmark
13 Apr 2026
Published benchmark ranges
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Sign up freeHow To Use This Benchmark
Use these ranges as a market reference, not as a substitute for a full valuation. Company quality, growth, concentration, recurring revenue, margin profile, and deal context still matter.
Pair This With The Right Valuation Method
These benchmark pages work best when they feed into a fuller valuation workflow on Upswitch. Start with the market range, then choose the method that fits the company.
Upswitch Index vs Damodaran
Both are useful — they answer different questions. Pick the right reference for the work.
Upswitch Index
Private-market, SME, by business type
- Benelux-native where the row proves local evidence
- By business type, disclosed market basis, citable vintages
- Free to use — no credit card
Damodaran
Listed equities, global, by sector
- Public-market companies, annual global cuts
- Broad sector buckets, not country-resolved
- Free academic resource
Wholesale and retail trade
How car detailing actually gets valued
The multiples above are a market anchor — not the valuation. What drives the outcome are sector-typical normalisations, value drivers and risk compressors.
Normalisation checklist
What reported EBITDA almost always distorts in this sector.
- Test inventory ageing — slow-moving stock above 90 days is a hidden write-down.
- Reverse rebates booked as cost reductions where they are tied to one supplier and won't repeat under new ownership.
- Adjust shrinkage and breakage to a sector-typical percentage where reported figures look optimistic.
- Strip e-commerce launch losses from the operating line if the channel is structurally profitable now.
- Re-base store-level depreciation against actual lease end-dates for any closing locations.
Value drivers
What typically lifts the multiple in this sector.
- Private label or exclusive distribution rights with regional protection.
- Multi-channel revenue (physical + online) with consistent gross margin per channel.
- Loyalty data: documented repeat-purchase rates and average basket trajectory.
- Diversified supplier base with no single supplier above 25%.
Value killers
What compresses the multiple or kills the deal.
- Lease portfolio with break clauses on the wrong side and no mitigation plan.
- Inventory funded by supplier credit that will tighten under new ownership.
- Single-supplier concentration where the supplier is also a competitor on neighbouring SKUs.
- Declining footfall in physical locations not offset by online growth.
Anonymised worked example
Illustrative — not a recommendation. Real valuations run through the Upswitch engine.
A specialty retailer reports €5.6M revenue and €410k EBITDA across four stores plus a webshop. Normalising for €70k of one-off supplier rebates, €35k of slow-moving inventory write-down deferred from prior year, and €40k of e-commerce build-out cost (now profitable), normalised EBITDA is €315k. A sector range of 3.8×–5.0× EV/EBITDA gives €1.2M–€1.6M, with multiple expansion supported by a 28% online share and a 22-month average payback per new SKU launch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these published numbers company-specific?
No. They are published market reference points for this business type in the country markets that Upswitch has evidence for. A real valuation still needs company-specific inputs and judgment.
Why do some business types show more than one metric?
Different sectors are often discussed with different market lenses. Upswitch shows the published metrics that are available for this business type.
Can I use this in a client conversation?
Yes. These pages are designed as citation-friendly starting points. For a client-ready report, use the full valuation workflow on Upswitch.
Is this database free to use?
Yes. The Upswitch Index publishes free SME valuation multiples (EV/EBITDA, EV/Revenue, and P/E) by business type. Benelux can be native-local where row evidence supports it; wider European market views are disclosed as beta, borrowed, aggregate, or compatibility coverage. Historical vintages and audit exports are on paid plans.
How does Upswitch Index compare to Damodaran?
Damodaran publishes annual global multiples for listed companies by broad sector — a gold standard for public markets. Upswitch Index publishes granular SME/private-company benchmark ranges by business type with row-level disclosure of whether evidence is native-local, borrowed, aggregate, or beta-stage. Both are useful; they answer different questions.
What is the source methodology behind these multiples?
Upswitch publishes only through row-level benchmark contracts. Evidence can include private-market observations, local filings or statistics, listed-comparable context, and macro calibration anchors, but source labels are used only when they actually contributed to the resolved benchmark. Full methodology is on the methodology page.
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Full valuation workflow — Upswitch
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