Where Is Independent Retail Growing in the UK? The Towns Beating the National Average

When people picture a thriving independent retail scene, they tend to think of London's side streets or Manchester's Northern Quarter. New data from Faire suggests the real growth story is happening somewhere else entirely.  

Speaking on the Counter Talks Stage at Autumn Fair at the NEC Birmingham, Elyse McAvoy, Industry and Trends Expert at Faire, shared the platform's latest indie hotspots research, and the towns leading the way might surprise you. 

How many UK towns are beating the national average for independent retail? 

Faire measured towns on two things at once: whether existing shops were spending more year on year, and whether new shops were joining at a higher rate than elsewhere. To make sure the figures reflected genuine growth rather than Faire's own expansion, the spending data only included shops that were on the platform in both years. 

According to Faire's platform data, 41% of UK towns beat the national average on both measures, which means that across a big share of the country, independent shops are growing their buying while new ones open alongside them. That lines up with the wider Voices of Retail report, produced by Spring and Autumn Fair with Faire, which found 71% of UK retailers are currently growing or stable. 

Which towns are the UK's top independent retail hotspots? 

Faire ranked the towns where existing shops are spending more, and new shops are joining faster than the national average. The four named on stage were: 

• Sheffield: Joint leader this year, and home to Division Street and Devonshire Street, which GlobalData research for American Express also ranked among Britain's best independent shopping streets. 
• Cardiff: Sharing the top spot with Sheffield, with the Welsh capital's independents growing on both spending and new openings. 
• Liverpool: On the list for the second year in a row, so its growth has held up rather than peaking once. 
• Dorchester: Another repeat entry from last year, and a town that also features on the new shops list below. 

Where are independent shops spending the most? 

When Faire separated out spending growth, Lyme Regis in Dorset came out on top, with shops spending 93% more than they did the year before. For a small coastal town that's a remarkable jump, and it reflects a pattern running right through the data, with seaside and market towns punching well above their weight. 

Faire also looked at which shops are most willing to take a chance on new brands. It calls them scouts, which simply means independents that buy from at least three brands they've never stocked before within the same three months. Scouts are most common in seaside and market towns, with London below the national average, and they're among the biggest buyers on the platform, ordering from 12 times as many brands and spending 16 times more than a typical shop. 

Where are new independent shops opening fastest? 

Faire also tracked where new independent shops joined the platform fastest between 2025 and 2026: 

• Stockport: Top of the list, with its number of independent shops on Faire doubling in a single year. Sitting next to Manchester hasn't held it back, as plenty of shoppers would rather browse a characterful high street close to home than head into the city centre. 
• Dorchester: On both the new shops and spending list, more independents are opening there, and existing ones are buying more. 

Why is independent retail growing outside the big cities? 

Elyse's view was that growth simply isn't concentrated in the biggest markets anymore. It's not all London, and it's not just Birmingham and Manchester either. 

Part of the reason is demand, Voices of Retail found that 96% of UK shoppers want to see more independents on their high streets and 85% would rather shop with an independent than a big chain. 

Part of it is what independents offer that chains can't. Faire's own consumer research found shoppers stay almost 40 minutes longer and spend over £60 more per visit in shops whose atmosphere they like, and 80% believe independents beat chains on ambience. In smaller towns, where a single shop can shape the feel of an entire street, that advantage goes a long way. 

It also helps explain why Gen Z are happy to travel for independent shops they've discovered online. 

Access matters too. Towns with easy, affordable parking make it far simpler for shoppers to pop in, which is why rising parking charges on many high streets are such a live issue for independents right now. 

What can retailers outside the hotspots learn from them? 

The common thread across these towns is a willingness to try new things. Faire found that shops regularly testing new-to-you brands are far more likely to land breakout products before they become bestsellers everywhere else, and around 24% of scouts go on to become what Faire calls tastemakers. 

Wherever your shop is, a few practical lessons stand out: 

• Keep your range moving. Bring in a handful of new brands each quarter so regular customers always find something they haven't seen before. 
• Lean into your story. Retailers investing in brand storytelling are twice as likely to be growing, so our guide to getting brand story right is worth a read. 
• Watch the fastest-growing categories. Books, accessories and home décor are all outpacing the average on Faire UK, and our homeware trends round-up and London Fashion Week takeaways are good starting points for buying. 

Elyse expects this pattern to continue into 2027, with independent retail thriving well beyond the biggest cities as shops get sharper at curating ranges and creating experiences shoppers can't find anywhere else. For buyers hoping to find their next breakout brand, handling products and meeting makers at trade shows is still one of the quickest ways to do it, with many Autumn Fair exhibitors available to reorder through Faire between shows. 

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