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Pharmacy companies in London

839 pharmacy companies have a registered office in London, and 124 of them were formed in 2025 or 2026. In their latest accounts, the typical one held £112,009 in cash and owed £174,034 at year end.

Companies House register, 1 September 2026, and accounts filed in the last twelve months. Compared with the official category “Dispensing chemist in specialised stores” (SIC 47730).

The numbers

Pharmacy companies in London compared with the same category across the UK. Typical figures are medians.
MeasureLondonUK
Registered companies8397,805
Formed in 2025 or 2026124 (15%)16%
Being struck off or in liquidation23 (2.7%)3.2%
Typical cash at year end£112,009338 accounts£88,926
Typical amount owed at year end£174,034539 accounts£188,728
Typical number of employees4554 accounts2

What this means if you’re starting one

You will be up against established operators

15% of the 839 pharmacy companies in London were formed in 2025–26, against 28% of all companies in London.

Few new companies are entering, so your customers will compare you with businesses that have years of reviews and regulars.

London has fewer of these businesses than most places

Pharmacy companies are 0.08% of companies registered in London, against 0.14% UK-wide (0.5× the national share).

That could be a gap or a sign of weak demand. The register cannot tell which.

Expect real upfront spend on equipment or fit-out

The typical pharmacy company in London carries £33,289 of equipment and other fixed assets after depreciation, higher than 72% of UK industries.

Kit and premises are a big part of the cost of entry, and that money is hard to get back if the idea does not work.

Planning a business like this in London?

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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.

Pharmacy in other places

Other businesses in London

All business benchmarks in London