BAD for BUSINESS
THE BUSINESSES THAT ARE BOOMING - AND THOSE THAT AREN’T DOING SO WELL
IF you’re looking to open a bar, coffee shop or cocktail lounge, you might want to wait for a more auspicious time.
That’s because businesses operating in what’s known as “beverage serving activities” have seen the biggest fall in numbers out of any industry over the past seven years.
Although there were still 38,170 registered across the UK as of 2017, that is a fall of 7,445 from 45,615 such businesses in 2010.
One reason for the decline in businesses offering beverage serving activities, like coffee shops, could be because big brands dominate the market place.
According to a report from the Allegra World Coffee Portal, Costa Coffee, Starbucks and and Caffè Nero share more than half of the total branded chain market between them.
On the other hand, businesses offering management consultancy have seen a huge boom over the same period.
In 2017 there were 179,925 management consultancies in operation in the UK - a whopping 65,185 more than in 2010. There were also more management consultancies in the UK in 2017 than any other type business. A management consultancy helps other businesses improve on their performance. Less popular businesses in 2017 include those concerned with activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies, tobacco product manufacturers, and the mining of non-ferrous metal ores.
There were only around five businesses in the UK offering each service in 2017, though it is important to note that the data (from the Office for National Statistics) is rounded to the nearest five.
Overall there were 2.7m businesses in the UK in 2017 - an increase of more than half a million from from 2.1m in 2010. Other businesses that have seen a large rise in numbers include computer programming and consultancy (up by 56,140), business support services (up by 53,245), and architectural and engineering activities (up by 29,315). Meanwhile, businesses that sell what is known as “other goods in specialised stores” (including independent clothing shops and secondhand shops) fell by 3,915 from 2010 to 2017.