Fastest Growing Industries in the UK by Revenue Growth (%) in 2021

1. Safety Equipment & Supplies Wholesaling in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 78.0%

Over the past decade, the tightening of workplace health and safety regulations has supported demand for industry goods. Industry operators must ensure that products adhere to occupational health and safety regulations to avoid fines and reduce the likelihood of lawsuits being brought against them by injured employees. Over the five years through 2020-21, industry revenue is expected to increase at a compound annual rate of 17.3% to reach £2.5 billion.

Subdued economic conditions since the EU referendum have slowed activity in downstream markets. This has negatively affected demand, despite the necessity of providing employees with adequate safety wear and equipment. However,... Learn More

2. Online Food Ordering & Delivery Platforms in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 45.1%

Players in the Online Food Ordering and Delivery Platforms industry can be split into two categories: aggregators and new delivery platforms. Aggregators offer access to a range of food outlets through a single online portal and generate revenue through a restaurant sign-up fee and commission on an order. Traditionally, aggregators do not operate a delivery fleet, with the food outlet instead handling delivery. New delivery platforms such as Deliveroo and Uber Eats offer delivery logistics. For new delivery operators, revenue is usually composed of restaurant sign-up fees, commission on orders, and delivery and service fees paid by the consumer.

Over the... Learn More

3. Bicycle Retailing in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 42.5%

Operators in the Bicycle Retailing industry sell new bicycles, parts, accessories and clothing, and offer repair and maintenance services. Second-hand bike retailers, mass merchandisers, public bike sharing schemes and online-only retailers have presented robust competition. The industry has also been struck by falling consumer confidence and constrained disposable incomes over the past five years. Purchase costs for internationally manufactured products have been heightened by the depreciation of the pound since the EU referendum in 2016, while the introduction of the National Living Wage in the same year has constrained profit margins throughout the period. This has led to general decline... Learn More

4. Online Alcohol Retailing in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 42.0%

The Online Alcohol Retailing industry encompasses a number of specialist online alcohol retailers and wine clubs that do not have physical storefronts. Consumers' growing willingness to shop online has supported revenue growth over the past five-year period. Moreover, demand for wine, which accounts for the majority of industry revenue, has risen, driven by the growing popularity of wine clubs and premium wines. However, rising health consciousness has placed downward pressure on alcohol consumption per capita, which has weighed on industry revenue growth to some extent.

Over the five years through 2020-21, industry revenue is forecast to increase at a compound annual... Learn More

5. E-Commerce & Online Auctions in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 40.2%

Firms in the E-Commerce and Online Auctions industry sell a wide variety of goods through online portals. Over the past decade, the industry has undergone considerable change. Formerly a declining industry that focused on mail orders and direct sales via TV, radio and telephone, the industry has been reinvigorated by the expansion of internet services and rising online spending. The increasingly integrated nature of the internet and smartphones in everyday life has been pivotal to growth. Industry revenue is expected to increase at a compound annual rate of 15.4% over the five years through 2020-21 to reach £52.4 billion.

Operators have... Learn More

6. Language Learning Software Developers in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 39.5%

Industry operators create language-learning software, which includes features such as language-learning games, speech-recognition technology, online practice sessions with native speakers and language exchange platforms. Over the past five years, the industry has expanded substantially, with revenue estimated to grow at a compound annual rate of 26.4%. This impressive result is in part explained by the fact that the industry is relatively young, as the majority of its companies have been operating for less than 10 years. Language learning applications have grown massively in popularity among consumers, providing a cheaper alternative to traditional face-to-face courses, while allowing greater flexibility to users... Learn More

7. Precious Metals Production in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 37.7%

Industry operators recycle gold, silver and platinum group metals from a range of materials. Sales of platinum group metals are heavily influenced by the performance of the automotive sector, as the commodity is used to manufacture catalytic converters. In general, platinum is more prevalent in diesel vehicles and palladium in petrol vehicles, although all catalysts contain a proportion of platinum, palladium and rhodium. Gold and silver are both used to make jewellery and have a variety of industrial uses, but they are also popular with investors, who consider them a safe investment for their wealth. This investment demand means gold... Learn More

8. Online Greetings Card Retailers in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 36.5%

The industry has benefited from strong expansion in the wider online market as consumers have searched for cheaper deals and often preferred the convenience of the online platform. Demand for personalised cards has further supported growth. This has given operators an edge over traditional bricks-and-mortar retailers, as they are able to offer consumers cards for all occasions and allow consumers to design cards to their liking. Competition from physical stores is expected to have been significantly curbed from the beginning of 2020-21 as non-essential stores have been forced to close for weeks at a time as part of COVID-19 (coronavirus)... Learn More

9. Video Downloading & Streaming Services in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 33.2%

The Video Downloading and Streaming Services industry includes all Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) service providers. Video content may include movies and TV series, which can be streamed or downloaded to various supported connected devices. The industry's degree of market share concentration is very high, as the industry is dominated by four players - Netflix Inc, Amazon Digital UK Ltd, The Walt Disney Company Ltd and Sky UK Ltd – which are expected to account for 98.3% of industry revenue in 2020-21. These companies offer Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and NOW TV respectively.

IBISWorld expects industry revenue to grow at... Learn More

10. Online Vitamin & Supplement Retailing in the UK

2021-2022 Revenue Growth: 29.8%

The Online Vitamin and Supplement Retailing industry has performed well over the past five years. The industry benefited from more households with internet access, growing disposable incomes and rising health consciousness over much of the period. Online retailers offer a wide range of products to customers, including minerals, herbs, protein bars and vitamin and meal replacement supplements. The UK population's growing interest in health has driven sales of vitamins and supplements, which has supported significant industry growth. Revenue is forecast to expand at a compound annual rate of 12.7% over the five years through 2020-21, including growth of 27.3% in... Learn More