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What happened to the high street?

ONS counts every registered business site each March. Watch Britain’s banks, pubs, cafes, shops and salons change from 2010 to 2026, then redraw the street for your own council.

22 Oct 2026 · Report explained: Office for National Statistics, UK Business Counts, local units by industry, released 24 September 2026

Main points

  • Banks: 3,610 sites in Great Britain in March 2026, down from 14,500 in March 2010.
  • Public houses and bars: 36,605 sites in Great Britain in March 2026, down from 43,715 in March 2010.
  • Unlicensed restaurants and cafes: 36,320 sites in Great Britain in March 2026, up from 14,665 in March 2010.
  • Hairdressing and other beauty treatment: 52,225 sites in Great Britain in March 2026, up from 25,770 in March 2010.

I · The street

Each March, ONS counts the sites businesses work from, using the register of firms that charge VAT or run a payroll. Each row below is one of its business classes, named as ONS names it.

Every front stands for the same number of sites, whatever the row. A row grows as its count rises. When a count falls, the fronts it has lost get their shutters pulled down. No front ever turns into another kind of business.

2026

One front = 5,000 sites in Great Britain open in March 2026 shuttered: counted in an earlier year, not in March 2026 not yet reached

Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles

Retail sale in non-specialised stores SIC 471 67,000 from 54,505 in 2010
67,000 ▲ from 54,505 in 2010
Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores SIC 472 30,575 from 33,460 in 2010
30,575 ▼ from 33,460 in 2010
Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores SIC 473 3,505 from 4,585 in 2010
3,505 ▼ from 4,585 in 2010
Retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores SIC 474 5,470 from 7,855 in 2010
5,470 ▼ from 7,855 in 2010
Retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores SIC 475 29,415 from 34,610 in 2010
29,415 ▼ from 34,610 in 2010
Retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores SIC 476 17,040 from 17,880 in 2010
17,040 ▼ from 17,880 in 2010
Retail sale of other goods in specialised stores SIC 477 88,530 from 102,290 in 2010
88,530 ▼ from 102,290 in 2010

Food and beverage service activities

Licensed restaurants SIC 56101 38,040 from 27,255 in 2010
38,040 ▲ from 27,255 in 2010
Unlicensed restaurants and cafes SIC 56102 36,320 from 14,665 in 2010
36,320 ▲ from 14,665 in 2010
Public houses and bars SIC 56302 36,605 from 43,715 in 2010
36,605 ▼ from 43,715 in 2010

Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding

Banks SIC 64191 3,610 from 14,500 in 2010
3,610 ▼ from 14,500 in 2010

Other personal service activities

Hairdressing and other beauty treatment SIC 96020 52,225 from 25,770 in 2010
52,225 ▲ from 25,770 in 2010

Office for National Statistics, UK Business Counts, local units by industry · Reference: Sites live in March of each year, 2010 to 2026 · Released: 24 September 2026

II · Banks

Between March 2010 and March 2026, the counts for Great Britain show banks fell. Scroll on, and the year moves with you.

Banks: 3,610 sites in Great Britain in March 2026, down from 14,500 in March 2010.

March 2026

One front = 5,000 sites in Great Britain open in March 2026 shuttered: counted in an earlier year, not in March 2026 not yet reached

Banks SIC 64191 3,610 from 14,500 in 2010
3,610 ▼ from 14,500 in 2010

A bank site here is any registered site classed as a bank, not only a branch on a high street. These counts do not split branches from offices.

III · Pubs, cafes and restaurants

Between March 2010 and March 2026, the counts for Great Britain show public houses and bars fell, licensed restaurants rose and unlicensed restaurants and cafes rose.

Public houses and bars: 36,605 sites in Great Britain in March 2026, down from 43,715 in March 2010.

Licensed restaurants: 38,040 sites in Great Britain in March 2026, up from 27,255 in March 2010.

Unlicensed restaurants and cafes: 36,320 sites in Great Britain in March 2026, up from 14,665 in March 2010.

March 2026

One front = 5,000 sites in Great Britain open in March 2026 shuttered: counted in an earlier year, not in March 2026 not yet reached

Public houses and bars SIC 56302 36,605 from 43,715 in 2010
36,605 ▼ from 43,715 in 2010
Licensed restaurants SIC 56101 38,040 from 27,255 in 2010
38,040 ▲ from 27,255 in 2010
Unlicensed restaurants and cafes SIC 56102 36,320 from 14,665 in 2010
36,320 ▲ from 14,665 in 2010

ONS puts each site in one class, by what it mainly does. Restaurants are split by whether they hold a licence to sell alcohol.

IV · Hair and beauty

Between March 2010 and March 2026, the counts for Great Britain show hairdressing and other beauty treatment rose.

Hairdressing and other beauty treatment: 52,225 sites in Great Britain in March 2026, up from 25,770 in March 2010.

March 2026

One front = 5,000 sites in Great Britain open in March 2026 shuttered: counted in an earlier year, not in March 2026 not yet reached

Hairdressing and other beauty treatment SIC 96020 52,225 from 25,770 in 2010
52,225 ▲ from 25,770 in 2010

This one class covers hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons alike, so the counts cannot tell them apart.

V · Your council

The same counts exist for every council, English region and combined authority. Pick one to redraw the street from its own figures, at its own scale.

2026

One front = 1,000 sites (was 5,000) in London open in March 2026 shuttered: counted in an earlier year, not in March 2026 not yet reached

Retail trade, except of motor vehicles and motorcycles

Retail sale in non-specialised stores SIC 471 11,660 from 8,470 in 2010
11,660 ▲ from 8,470 in 2010
Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores SIC 472 5,885 from 4,785 in 2010
5,885 ▲ from 4,785 in 2010
Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores SIC 473 255 from 355 in 2010
255 ▼ from 355 in 2010
Retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores SIC 474 1,225 from 1,490 in 2010
1,225 ▼ from 1,490 in 2010
Retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores SIC 475 4,580 from 4,275 in 2010
4,580 ▲ from 4,275 in 2010
Retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores SIC 476 2,285 from 2,245 in 2010
2,285 ▲ from 2,245 in 2010
Retail sale of other goods in specialised stores SIC 477 15,865 from 14,935 in 2010
15,865 ▲ from 14,935 in 2010

Food and beverage service activities

Licensed restaurants SIC 56101 9,560 from 6,220 in 2010
9,560 ▲ from 6,220 in 2010
Unlicensed restaurants and cafes SIC 56102 7,780 from 3,430 in 2010
7,780 ▲ from 3,430 in 2010
Public houses and bars SIC 56302 3,625 from 3,915 in 2010
3,625 ▼ from 3,915 in 2010

Financial service activities, except insurance and pension funding

Banks SIC 64191 730 from 2,770 in 2010
730 ▼ from 2,770 in 2010

Other personal service activities

Hairdressing and other beauty treatment SIC 96020 9,895 from 3,540 in 2010
9,895 ▲ from 3,540 in 2010

What moved in London, March 2010 to March 2026

  • ▼ Retail sale of automotive fuel in specialised stores 255, from 355 in 2010
  • ▼ Retail sale of information and communication equipment in specialised stores 1,225, from 1,490 in 2010
  • ▼ Public houses and bars 3,625, from 3,915 in 2010
  • ▼ Banks 730, from 2,770 in 2010
  • ▲ Retail sale in non-specialised stores 11,660, from 8,470 in 2010
  • ▲ Retail sale of food, beverages and tobacco in specialised stores 5,885, from 4,785 in 2010
  • ▲ Retail sale of other household equipment in specialised stores 4,580, from 4,275 in 2010
  • ▲ Retail sale of cultural and recreation goods in specialised stores 2,285, from 2,245 in 2010
  • ▲ Retail sale of other goods in specialised stores 15,865, from 14,935 in 2010
  • ▲ Licensed restaurants 9,560, from 6,220 in 2010
  • ▲ Unlicensed restaurants and cafes 7,780, from 3,430 in 2010
  • ▲ Hairdressing and other beauty treatment 9,895, from 3,540 in 2010

Office for National Statistics, UK Business Counts, local units by industry · Reference: Sites live in March of each year, 2010 to 2026 · Released: 24 September 2026

What this doesn't tell you

Every figure here comes from ONS's UK Business Counts. It counts the places businesses work from, once a year in March, from the register of firms that charge VAT or run a payroll.

  • A site is not a shopfront. A bank's back office counts as a bank. A small trader who neither charges VAT nor employs anyone is not counted at all.
  • It is the whole area, not one street. A council's count takes in retail parks, out-of-town sites and station kiosks as well as its high streets.
  • Each count is the total standing that March. A row that holds level can hide many openings and closings. The counts never say which business replaced which.
  • The classes are ONS's own. We took the retail, food and drink and hair and beauty classes ONS used in its 2020 study of high streets, plus banks, before reading any trend.
  • No one publishes a count of empty shops. No official body counts vacant units, and private counts cannot be reused here. Business rates records count empty and occupied premises together.
  • The counts give no reasons. They say how many, not why.
  • Every count is rounded to the nearest five by ONS, so a small row may move by five without any site opening or closing.

How we worked this out

Every figure on this page is one ONS printed, read from the file named below at a recorded position. Nothing is added, divided or estimated. The number of sites a front stands for only sets the drawing; each row prints its own count.

Sources

SourceReferenceReleasedLink
Office for National Statistics UK Business Counts, local units by industry (Nomis NM_141_1), by country Great Britain's and each nation's count of sites, for each of the twelve classes, every March from 2010 to 2026; read from NM_141_1.data.csv (sha256 effd3f7986a9…) on 2026-10-22
Sites live in March of each year, 2010 to 202624 September 2026Dataset Data file
Office for National Statistics UK Business Counts, local units by industry (Nomis NM_141_1), by region Each English region's count of sites, for the same classes and years; read from NM_141_1.data.csv (sha256 79a757621875…) on 2026-10-22
Sites live in March of each year, 2010 to 202624 September 2026Dataset Data file
Office for National Statistics UK Business Counts, local units by industry (Nomis NM_141_1), by combined authority Each combined authority's count of sites, for the same classes and years; read from NM_141_1.data.csv (sha256 fa82c529cedc…) on 2026-10-22
Sites live in March of each year, 2010 to 202624 September 2026Dataset Data file

Drafted with the help of AI, checked against the publishers' own files, and read by a person before it goes up.

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