During the digital commerce boom, many players attempted to grow through acquisitions. The term "aggregator" became popular to describe companies that buy established online brands, many with their own channel and strong presence on Amazon, to take them to the next phase of growth. The idea, when well executed, is not to invent products from scratch, but to professionalise the operation: centralising logistics, marketing, cataloguing and data in an expert team that applies the same management criteria to all brands.
How do they choose what to buy and how do they create value? They look for businesses with stable sales, good customer ratings and healthy margins; they set minimum thresholds for size and profitability (as a reference, around €1 million EBITDA), and thoroughly check costs, suppliers and demand trends. After the purchase, growth comes from doing the basics brilliantly: securing stock with demand planning, optimising the logistics chain, improving product listings and images, fine-tuning investment in paid advertising, and opening up new countries or channels when it makes sense. The trick is less about "adding brands" and more about operating them better so that they sell more and generate more cash on a sustained basis.
In this context, the sector has moved from euphoria to maturity. With more demanding financing, one reality prevails: operational excellence rules.The second life of the model is less like a "financial roll-up" and more like a specialised operator that chooses very carefully where it plays and replicates a proven management manual.
This is where Yaba comes in. Founded in Spain in 2020, it now has an annual turnover of €60 million and its main markets are the United Kingdom, Germany, Spain and the United States. Its premise is clear: compete on the basis of operations and specialise in well being. Instead of a scattered portfolio, Yaba prioritises themes that can be managed with the same operational "brain": superfoods and supplements. The logic is simple: recurring categories, where educational content is important, quality control is key and the relationship with the consumer is built over time.
What makes Yaba different when it 'adds' a brand? First, it brings order to the supply chain to avoid shortages and unnecessary costs; then it rewrites the product's story where it really matters: clear product descriptions that highlight benefits, images and videos that sell, carefully calculated prices and promotions, and advertising with return on investment (rather than expenditure) as the goal. Finally, it decides if and when to expand: it does not open up a country or a marketplace just for the sake of it, but only when the logistics are ready, the after-sales service can respond, and demand is demonstrable. All of this is underpinned by its own framework (4S: Search, Source, Safety, Success) that disciplines search, supply, quality, and execution. When selecting what to integrate, Yaba looks for sellers who are already playing in the big leagues: those with a minimum EBITDA or SDE (seller's discretionary earnings) of~€400,000 and a margin ≥ 18%, with ≈80% of sales on Amazon, i.e., these €400,000 represent 18% or more of their turnover, as a sign of traction and repeatability before "plugging in" their playbook.
This approach is evident in the types of brands they integrate: Matcha DNA and Purechimp (matcha powder and functional blends with a clear and carefully crafted proposition), NaturaleBio (organic superfoods such as matcha, maca, seeds and seaweed), Incite Nutrition (simple and straightforward supplementation with clear benefits) and AETHERN (ready-to-drink liquid nutricosmetics focused on skin results). These are examples of curation that prioritises recurrence, clarity and verifiable quality. Each integration shares criteria and standards, so that what is learned from one brand is reused in the next, and KPIs, from conversion to inventory turnover, are compared using the same yardstick.
If you look at the complete model, Yaba has been building density in a few categories, not indiscriminate quantity. That density allows for faster decisions (because they have seen that problem before), better logistics agreements (concentrated volume), and a noticeable marketing advantage. In a market that no longer rewards growth at any price, that combination — thematic focus + replicable operation—is what makes the difference.
For those who observe this sector, the question is no longer "how many brands do you have?", but "how much better does each brand operate compared to yesterday?". The value of the aggregators that have survived the screening process lies in repeatability: a playbook that, brand by brand, improves availability, conversion and margin. In wellness, this translates into a smaller catalogue, greater clarity and an obsession with the experience: from stock forecasting to the photo that clicks.
In short: aggregators are not an end in themselves; they are a way of operating and building a business in food. And when the operation is good, it shows. Yaba is a case to watch because it has chosen a field: wellness, where this way of operating makes perfect sense. That is where, today, you win.
