The West Midlands has 219,545 registered businesses, and 4.3% of them are wholesalers, the highest share of any UK nation or region. The motor trade (4.0%) and retail (8.6%) are also both above the UK average (3.0% and 7.7%).
We do not have an office, staff or events in the West Midlands. The software runs in the browser, and support is by email.
The local business mix
That mix of wholesalers, trade counters and parts suppliers is the business our Linnworks tools came from. Green & Home Ltd built Trade Order POS and B2B Price Tiers for its own business first, then offered them to others.
| Sector | Businesses | Share | UK | vs UK · rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All businesses | 219,545 | 100% | — | 6 of 12 by count |
| Fewer than 10 staff | 195,005 | 88.8% | 89.1% | |
| Construction and specialist trades | 29,350 | 13.4% | 14.1% | about the same · 10 of 12 |
| Cleaning, facilities and landscaping | 4,210 | 1.9% | 2.0% | about the same · 9 of 12 |
| Wholesale | 9,540 | 4.3% | 3.6% | above · 1 of 12 |
| Retail | 18,990 | 8.6% | 7.7% | above · 3 of 12 |
| Motor trade and repair | 8,700 | 4.0% | 3.0% | above · 2 of 12 |
| Hotels, pubs, cafés and restaurants | 13,645 | 6.2% | 6.5% | about the same · 8 of 12 |
| Professional services (legal, accounting, consultancy, architects, marketing) | 23,265 | 10.6% | 12.3% | below · 8 of 12 |
| Software and IT services | 8,015 | 3.7% | 4.4% | below · 5 of 12 |
Source: ONS UK Business Counts 2026, via Nomis, March 2026. About these figures.
What fits here, and why
Ordered by how many local businesses each is likely to suit.
9,540 wholesalers in the region. If you take counter, phone or rep orders into Linnworks, this is the one to look at first.
Find out more →Named price tiers per customer, instead of a spreadsheet of exceptions. It feeds Trade Order POS automatically.
Find out more →For the 18,990 retailers and wholesalers selling through Linnworks who would rather ask Claude than build a report.
Find out more →For the 8,700 motor-trade businesses and the trades, if estimates go out from Xero or QuickBooks.
Find out more →No. Grafto is run from Suffolk, where Green & Home Ltd has its warehouse in Mildenhall (registered office: Hertford). We work with businesses in the West Midlands remotely: the AI Tools Report, the apps and support are all online or by email. Our only in-person events are in Bury St Edmunds.
It depends on what you do, but on the local mix we would usually start with Trade Order POS by Grafto. Trade counter, phone and field orders taken in seconds and sent straight into Linnworks. Live now.
From the Office for National Statistics’ UK Business Counts for 2026, published through Nomis. They count 219,545 enterprises registered for VAT and/or PAYE in the West Midlands, so very small unregistered sole traders are not included.
Nearby
Also in the West Midlands: Birmingham.
Neighbouring: East Midlands · Wales · North West · South West. Or see everywhere we work.
Ten minutes of questions, then a costed plan for your business, wherever in the UK it is. £59.99 inc VAT.
Get my AI Tools Report →Questions first? Email hello@grafto.co.uk.