SumUp has named Manchester the leading UK city for independent businesses in a new report ranking urban areas by business density and category variety. Nottingham placed second and Wolverhampton third, with the study looking at how many independent businesses each city has per 10,000 residents, alongside the spread of business types represented.
Manchester recorded 135.80 businesses per 10,000 people, comfortably ahead of Nottingham on 117.91 and Wolverhampton on 99.14. Newcastle upon Tyne placed fourth with 97.11, followed by Portsmouth with 96.64, Edinburgh with 96.18, Southampton with 92.87, Liverpool with 88.26, Bradford with 84.27, and Leeds with 82.64.
SumUp said Manchester’s position was supported by a particularly strong beauty and wellness scene. Outside London, the city has the highest number of beauty industry businesses in the UK, according to the company’s research, including 647 skincare clinics, 642 lash and brow bars, and 617 nail salons. That concentration helped set it apart as a location where specialist independent operators have reached meaningful scale.
Other cities in the ranking stood out for different sector strengths. Nottingham was highlighted as a strong base for hospitality businesses, with 1,642 restaurants, 57 bakeries, and 219 coffee shops listed on TripAdvisor. Wolverhampton’s performance was linked to a large grooming market, including 146 barbers listed on Fresha, the fourth-highest number in the UK. Edinburgh, which placed sixth overall, was noted for 1,002 B&Bs, 2,042 restaurants, and 604 coffee shops, while Liverpool’s 1,931 restaurants and Leeds’ concentration of hairdressers and barbers also helped shape the top 10.
The report arrives as independent businesses continue to attract consumer attention around local spending, community support, and purchasing choices. SumUp also pointed to more people moving away from conventional employment patterns to build their own ventures, making location an increasingly important variable in whether those businesses can gain traction.
Corin Camenisch, Product Marketing Lead at SumUp, said: “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 findings offer a snapshot of where different types of local enterprise are clustering most visibly, from beauty and grooming to restaurants, coffee shops, and accommodation. For would-be founders, the ranking is less a verdict on any one city than a view of where density, variety, and customer activity appear to be combining most strongly.
