Find clients for your agency in Southampton
The Southampton city council area counts 1,490 local businesses of the kinds agencies sell websites, SEO and ads to. The biggest groups: 510 restaurants and takeaways, 230 builders and 190 garages and vehicle repair. 40 advertising agencies compete for them.
The local businesses agencies sell to in Southampton
Counts of business sites (local units, rounded to 5) by trade in the Southampton city council area, per 10,000 residents, against the median of the 32 UK cities on this list.
| Trade | Businesses | Per 10,000 residents | vs median |
|---|---|---|---|
| Electricians | 175 | 6.8 | +38% |
| Builders | 230 | 8.9 | +23% |
| Plumbing and heating | 130 | 5.0 | +6% |
| Garages and vehicle repair | 190 | 7.3 | +5% |
| Restaurants and takeaways | 510 | 19.7 | −8% |
| Estate agents | 85 | 3.3 | −14% |
| Hair and beauty salons | 170 | 6.6 | −16% |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026; population 259,230 (ONS mid-2025 estimate). Council area, not the wider metro area. Counts change as businesses open and close.
Where Southampton stands out
- Electricians: 6.8 per 10,000 residents, 38% above the median of the 32 UK cities on this list (rank 4 of 32).
- Builders: 8.9 per 10,000 residents, 23% above the median (rank 8).
- Hair and beauty salons: scarcer here (16% below the median), so fewer prospects, each with fewer rivals.
- Competition: 40 advertising agencies for 9,035 businesses of all kinds, one for every 226. The median across the 32 UK cities on this list is one for every 191, so Southampton ranks 11 of 32 on businesses per agency (1 is the least crowded): more businesses per agency than most, more room for you.
How Southampton compares with nearby and similar cities
Of these 7 cities, Portsmouth has the most of these businesses per resident and Aberdeen the most businesses per agency.
| City | Local businesses | Per 10,000 residents | Businesses per agency | Strongest trade, vs median |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southampton | 1,490 | 57 | 226 | Electricians (+38%) |
| Portsmouth | 1,460 | 69 | 221 | Electricians (+65%) |
| York | 1,240 | 59 | 180 | Plumbing and heating (+31%) |
| Reading | 1,055 | 57 | 206 | Builders (+28%) |
| Swansea | 1,495 | 60 | 343 | Electricians (+27%) |
| Aberdeen | 1,100 | 48 | 408 | Electricians (at the median) |
| Oxford | 820 | 49 | 215 | Estate agents (+35%) |
Your first three lists in Southampton
- Restaurants and takeaways: 510 businesses, close to the median per resident, so the volume is the reason to start here (rank 19 of 32).
- Builders: 230 businesses, 23% more per resident than the median city, so owners compete hard for customers (rank 8 of 32).
- Electricians: 175 businesses, 38% more per resident than the median city, so owners compete hard for customers (rank 4 of 32).
How to work a list, from the "No website" filter to the first call: LeadsIt for agencies.
Frequently asked questions
How many local businesses can an agency prospect in Southampton?
ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026 counts 1,490 business sites (local units, rounded to 5) in the trades on this page in the Southampton city council area, including 510 restaurants and takeaways, 230 builders and 190 garages and vehicle repair.
How many marketing agencies are there in Southampton?
40 advertising agencies in the Southampton city council area (ONS UK Business Counts, March 2026), one for every 226 businesses, against a median of one for every 191 across the 32 UK cities on this list.
Which trade should an agency target first in Southampton?
By volume, restaurants and takeaways (510). Relative to its size, Southampton stands out most on electricians: 6.8 per 10,000 residents, rank 4 of 32.