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Companies / Industries / Retail

Industry

Retail companies in the UK

There are about 453,000 active UK retail companies, across 44 SIC codes, as of October 2026.

Companies with more than one retail SIC code are counted once.

See these companies in the search →

Live figures, the full list, more filters, and CSV export.

Search and filter UK retail companies from the Companies House register, including shops, stores, and e-commerce businesses.

Industry overview

The UK retail sector is one of the largest employers in the country, ranging from major supermarket chains to independent shops and online retailers. The sector has seen significant growth in e-commerce.

Key subsectors include food retail, fashion, electronics, homeware, and online marketplaces. High streets remain important, though many retailers operate multi-channel businesses combining physical and online sales.

On the register

Share of these companies on the live register, by status.

  • Active 75%
  • Proposal to strike off 23%
  • In insolvency or administration 1%

New registrations

Companies registered each month, October 2025 – September 2026, that are still on the register. See registrations by month across all companies.

Oct 25Nov 25Dec 25Jan 26Feb 26Mar 26Apr 26May 26Jun 26Jul 26Aug 26Sept 26
Show the figures
Month Companies
October 2025 12,400
November 2025 9,760
December 2025 8,160
January 2026 11,600
February 2026 8,610
March 2026 9,930
April 2026 9,730
May 2026 9,290
June 2026 9,540
July 2026 10,900
August 2026 9,590
September 2026 11,500

Company age

How long the active companies have been registered.

  • Under 1 year 25%
  • 1–3 years 26%
  • 3–5 years 12%
  • 5–10 years 18%
  • 10–20 years 12%
  • 20 years or more 6%

SIC codes in this industry

Active companies under each SIC code. Codes with fewer than 250 active companies don't have a page of their own.

  • 47910 – Retail sale via mail order houses or via Internet 197,000
  • 47990 – Other retail sale not in stores, stalls or markets 47,200
  • 47190 – Other retail sale in non-specialised stores 35,500
  • 47110 – Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating 34,400
  • 47710 – Retail sale of clothing in specialised stores 27,600
  • 47789 – Other retail sale of new goods in specialised stores (not commercial art galleries and opticians) 13,300
  • 47290 – Other retail sale of food in specialised stores 11,600
  • 47599 – Retail of furniture, lighting, and similar (not musical instruments or scores) in specialised store 10,100
  • 47750 – Retail sale of cosmetic and toilet articles in specialised stores 10,100
  • 47640 – Retail sale of sports goods, fishing gear, camping goods, boats and bicycles 9,530
  • 47770 – Retail sale of watches and jewellery in specialised stores 8,460
  • 47730 – Dispensing chemist in specialised stores 7,810
  • 47760 – Retail sale of flowers, plants, seeds, fertilizers, pet animals and pet food in specialised stores 7,480
  • 47890 – Retail sale via stalls and markets of other goods 7,420
  • 47240 – Retail sale of bread, cakes, flour confectionery and sugar confectionery in specialised stores 7,080
  • 47820 – Retail sale via stalls and markets of textiles, clothing and footwear 6,460
  • 47250 – Retail sale of beverages in specialised stores 5,360
  • 47220 – Retail sale of meat and meat products in specialised stores 5,270
  • 47530 – Retail sale of carpets, rugs, wall and floor coverings in specialised stores 5,240
  • 47421 – Retail sale of mobile telephones 5,150
  • 47650 – Retail sale of games and toys in specialised stores 4,790
  • 47210 – Retail sale of fruit and vegetables in specialised stores 4,180
  • 47510 – Retail sale of textiles in specialised stores 4,090
  • 47782 – Retail sale by opticians 3,930
  • 47410 – Retail sale of computers, peripheral units and software in specialised stores 3,910
  • 47799 – Retail sale of other second-hand goods in stores (not incl. antiques) 3,530
  • 47520 – Retail sale of hardware, paints and glass in specialised stores 3,490
  • 47540 – Retail sale of electrical household appliances in specialised stores 3,400
  • 47810 – Retail sale via stalls and markets of food, beverages and tobacco products 3,290
  • 47749 – Retail sale of medical and orthopaedic goods in specialised stores (not incl. hearing aids) n.e.c. 2,920
  • 47721 – Retail sale of footwear in specialised stores 2,900
  • 47781 – Retail sale in commercial art galleries 2,670
  • 47791 – Retail sale of antiques including antique books in stores 2,490
  • 47260 – Retail sale of tobacco products in specialised stores 2,460
  • 47429 – Retail sale of telecommunications equipment other than mobile telephones 2,400
  • 47610 – Retail sale of books in specialised stores 2,360
  • 47300 – Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores 2,360
  • 47620 – Retail sale of newspapers and stationery in specialised stores 2,280
  • 47230 – Retail sale of fish, crustaceans and molluscs in specialised stores 1,700
  • 47722 – Retail sale of leather goods in specialised stores 1,690
  • 47430 – Retail sale of audio and video equipment in specialised stores 1,260
  • 47630 – Retail sale of music and video recordings in specialised stores 1,080
  • 47741 – Retail sale of hearing aids 1,000
  • 47591 – Retail sale of musical instruments and scores 938

Where they're registered

Active companies by postcode area of their registered office.

  • East London (E) 22,100
  • East Central London (EC) 19,200
  • West Central London (WC) 18,200
  • Manchester (M) 16,100
  • Birmingham (B) 16,000
  • West London (W) 14,400
  • North London (N) 13,800
  • Harrow (HA) 8,750
  • South East London (SE) 8,530
  • Belfast (BT) 7,770

Note: Location figures use the registered office address from Companies House. Many companies register at an accountant's or formation agent's address, which may differ from where they trade.

Recently registered companies

Active retail companies registered recently.

CompanyNumberRegisteredTown
ONETAP LAB LTD174968982 Oct 2026Welwyn Garden City
SUPPEXA LTD174968812 Oct 2026Wakefield
ESSENTIALS BLACK LTD174968772 Oct 2026London
AQVERO LTDSC9047362 Oct 2026Edinburgh
BESPOKE STUDIO CLUB LTD174968652 Oct 2026Barking
LOCK IN MOTION LTD174968642 Oct 2026London
ALI HAMZA MOHAL LTD174968632 Oct 2026Telford
VAREZA LIMITED174968562 Oct 2026Hayes
MKDIRECT1 LTD174968512 Oct 2026Fleet
KAREWRLD LTD174968452 Oct 2026Croydon

Other industries

  • Technology
  • Construction
  • Professional Services
  • Finance
  • Hospitality
  • Healthcare
  • Real Estate
  • Manufacturing
  • Transport & Logistics
  • Education
  • Creative & Entertainment
  • Agriculture
  • Wholesale
  • Automotive
  • Food & Drink
  • Media & Publishing
  • Mining & Energy
  • Utilities
  • Admin & Support
  • Personal Services
Updated Daily
  • New Company Registrations
  • New / Updated Officers
  • Charges / Mortgages
Updated Weekly
  • Officer Disqualifications
  • Accounts (Assets)
  • Insolvency Filings
Updated Monthly
  • Company Officer Resignations
  • Existing Company Changes
  • In Liquidation

Data as of October 2026.

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Data sourced from Companies House. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Companies House.

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