With recent cyber attacks on supermarkets leaving consumers facing empty shelves, the UKs corner shops are continuing to cement their status as reliable mainstays in our local communities.
One-stop-shops for everything from obscure imported beers to essential home supplies, new research from small business insurance provider Simply Business reveals convenience stores have seen a remarkable 98% increase between 2020 and 2024.
While bricks-and-mortar retailers struggled to compete with e-commerce giants during lockdowns, the humble corner shop has defied the post-COVID downturn that forced almost 400,000 businesses in the UK to shut their doors permanently in 2020.
As ONS data reveals that October to December 2024 saw the lowest number of business creations since the start of its quarterly data time series corner shops have truly bucked the trend. According to the data from Simply Business, London has seen the biggest renaissance of corner shops with a growth of 163%, while East Anglia is close behind at 143%. Open til late, seven days a week, these high street heroes are thriving.
Meanwhile, major supermarket chains have been forced to scale back their convenience store operations during uncertain times – including Co-Op announcing the closure of 19 stores in 2025 and a wave of Morrisons Daily closures announced just last month.
Julie Fisher, UK CEO at Simply Business, said, “No one embodies community spirit quite like our local corner shops. Working in a corner shop for my first ever job, I saw first hand the dedication that goes into running a small business. Representing the incredible entrepreneurial spirit that drives our economy forward even during the most challenging times, the growth we’ve seen in this sector is testament to their strength and resilience.
“Small businesses are the lifeblood of our local communities, and with over five million of them in the UK, together they contribute trillions of pounds to the economy. With the right support, these corner shops aren’t just surviving – they are thriving, and redefining what successful retail looks like in post-pandemic Britain.”
