A bulk sale is a sale outside a seller's normal course of business and generally involves a large portion of a business' assets. In an asset sale, the new owner purchases the business's physical assets.The seller retains all rights to the legal entity. From the buyer's perspective, however, asset sales are usually preferable. Generally, prospective buyers favor purchasing the assets of the business, while sellers favor transferring ownership interests. Explore tax strategies for selling your business. Bessemer Trust's expert guidance covers asset vs.