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Bakery shop companies in London

880 bakery shop companies have a registered office in London, and 285 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £23,881 in cash and owed £36,694 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Retail sale of bread, cakes, flour confectionery and sugar confectionery in specialised stores” (SIC 47240).

The numbers

Bakery shop companies in London compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureLondonUK
Registered companies8805,115
Formed in 2025 or 2026285 (32%)30%
Being struck off or in liquidation110 (13%)12%
Typical cash at year end£23,881153 accounts£14,130
Typical amount owed at year end£36,694414 accounts£32,494
Typical number of employees3423 accounts3

What this means if you’re starting one

At least a quarter of these companies owe more than they own

The lowest quarter of bakery shop companies in London report net assets of -£1,022 or less; the median is £4,019 (387 filings).

Many operators are propped up by loans, unpaid bills or money from the owner rather than by profit kept in the business. It is easy to keep going for longer than the numbers justify.

Most of your competition will be other newcomers

32% of the 880 bakery shop companies in London were formed in 2025–26, against 28% of all companies in London. Nationally, that share of new companies is higher than 88% of UK industries.

New rivals are arriving faster than in most trades, so your customers already have fresh options. Being new is not a difference on its own.

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What these figures can’t tell you

Companies are counted where their registered office is, which may be an accountant or a home address rather than a shop. Sole traders and partnerships are not on the register, and electronically filed accounts cover roughly 60–75% of accounts filed each year. The figures describe companies that exist; they cannot prove demand for your idea or predict whether it will work. How the figures are built.

Bakery shop in other places

Other businesses in London

All business benchmarks in London