SumUp has ranked Manchester as the UK’s strongest city for independent business growth, placing it ahead of Nottingham and Wolverhampton in a new report on business density and variety. According to the fintech company, Manchester is home to 135.80 businesses per 10,000 residents, compared with 117.91 in Nottingham and 99.14 in Wolverhampton.
The ranking was built by looking at the range of independent business types in each city and measuring how many operate relative to local population size. Newcastle upon Tyne, Portsmouth, Edinburgh, Southampton, Liverpool, Bradford, and Leeds also featured in the top 10, giving a broad picture of where local business ecosystems are most active.
Manchester’s position was supported by a strong beauty and wellness presence. SumUp said the city currently hosts 647 skincare clinics, 642 lash and brow bars, and 617 nail salons, while also recording the highest number of beauty industry businesses outside London. Nottingham, which placed second, stood out for hospitality, with 1,642 restaurants, 57 bakeries, and 219 coffee shops listed on TripAdvisor. Wolverhampton, in third, was highlighted for its grooming sector, with 146 barbers listed on Fresha.
Elsewhere in the ranking, Edinburgh’s hospitality market helped secure sixth place, with 1,002 B&Bs, 2,042 restaurants, and 604 coffee shops listed on TripAdvisor. Liverpool, in eighth, was noted for its 1,931 restaurants, while Leeds took 10th place with a sizeable hair and grooming sector that includes 380 hairdressers and 145 barbers.
Corin Camenisch, Product Marketing Lead at SumUp, comments: “We’re rooted in supporting independent businesses, and 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.”
The report reflects how local opportunity is being spread across different sectors rather than concentrated in one model. Beauty, hospitality, food, and personal care all feature heavily, suggesting that city strength in independent business is being shaped by both density and specialism.
