Convenience store companies in the Portsmouth area
310 convenience store companies have a registered office in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes), and 111 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £19,448 in cash and owed £48,800 at year end.
The numbers
| Measure | Portsmouth | UK |
|---|---|---|
| Registered companies | 310 | 36,745 |
| Formed in 2025 or 2026 | 111 (36%) | 30% |
| Being struck off or in liquidation | 26 (8.4%) | 12% |
| Typical cash at year end | £19,44854 accounts | £14,627 |
| Typical amount owed at year end | £48,800159 accounts | £49,675 |
| Typical number of employees | 4161 accounts | 3 |
What this means if you’re starting one
Most of your competition will be other newcomers
36% of the 310 convenience store companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) were formed in 2025–26, against 19% of all companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes). Nationally, that share of new companies is higher than 89% 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.
More of these companies are closing than in most trades
7.4% of convenience store companies in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) are currently being struck off, against 6.8% of all companies there. Nationally that rate is higher than 84% of UK industries.
Closures run high here. It is a churn signal, not a survival rate, but it means the common failure points are worth learning before you start.
Cash is tight in this trade
At year end the typical convenience store company in the Portsmouth area (PO postcodes) holds £19,448 in cash and owes £48,800; that cash figure is lower than 73% of UK industries.
Typical operators end the year holding less cash than they owe, so there is little slack if takings dip or a big bill lands early.
Planning a business like this in Portsmouth?
Answer two questions about your customer and what makes you different, and get a free three-week plan to test the idea before you spend real money. No account or card.
Check my ideaWhat 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.
Convenience store in other places
- Brighton484 companies
- Kingston upon Thames319 companies
- Dartford289 companies
- Milton Keynes283 companies
- Reading276 companies
- Slough273 companies
- Medway241 companies
- Hemel Hempstead234 companies
Other businesses in Portsmouth
- Buy-to-let landlord2,993 companies
- Business consultancy2,281 companies
- Dog grooming and other personal services1,284 companies
- IT support or consultancy1,115 companies
- Online shop936 companies
- Builder873 companies
- Electrician833 companies
- Plumber833 companies