Big news today as Liquidity Services, Liquidation.com, acquires returned goods distributor Jacobs Trading. For those new to the liquidation industry, Jacobs has maintained the exclusive contract for Walmarts salvage merchandise for several years. For those looking for Walmart pallets of customer returns, Jacobs has been the sole connection.
Liquidity’s disclosed offer of $140 million, including $80 million in cash, $40 million in a seller promissory note and $20 million in Liquidity Services’ common stock amounts to a truckload of cash for the 40 year old Jacobs firm.
The news indicates the sales team at Jacobs will remain intact, but it’s uncertain as to what this really means for those who have been sourcing Walmart customer returns. Will the price go up? Maybe.
One likely benefit of the acquisition is Liquidity’s expansive network of warehouse locations; it’s possible load pricing will go up, but freight cost to individual buyers could decrease as loads might ship closer to home.
