In recent years, there has been a bigger spotlight placed on independent businesses, as consumers become more conscious of their local communities and the impact their purchasing behaviour has on the environment.
Considering the rise of Britons starting new business ventures, SumUp has revealed the best cities in the UK for independent businesses. By looking at the top ten industries for independent businesses and assessing how many there are in each city, we’ve created a list of the top ten locations. Each city was assigned a final index score and ranked accordingly.
Top 5 cities for independent businesses:
1. London
2. Bristol
3. Birmingham
4. Glasgow
5. Leeds
It’s no surprise that London tops the list as the best city for fostering and thriving as an independent business. The capital boasts an impressively high score of 8.55 for the number of independent businesses the city hosts, home to 213 beauty salons, 201 barber shops and 166 coffee shops to name a few.
Birmingham ranks third, also boasting a high score of 11.55 for the number of independent businesses in the city. The city’s independent businesses also score a respectable average rating of 4.1, showing that the independent businesses are thriving. Birmingham has a wide range of barbers and beauty salons (198 and 175 respectively), with 184 nail salons and 138 independent takeaway’s.
The cities that failed to make the top 10 include Sheffield, York and Cardiff.
Corin Camenisch, Product Marketing Lead, at SumUp comments:
“We’re rooted in supporting independent businesses beyond financial technology. By understanding and spotlighting the best cities in the UK for businesses to thrive, we’re aiming to provide valuable insights to entrepreneurs. Whilst the sheer number of independent businesses in each city is a crucial part of our research, the quality of the businesses reflected by customer reviews is a powerful indicator of both success and satisfaction within each city.”
For more information, please visit: https://www.sumup.com/en-gb/business-guide/best-uk-cities-for-independent-business/