Six big businesses made in Manchester.

Industrious and inventive, Manchester has been at the very heart of commerce in the North for over a century.

Today, the city is a buzz with the sound of students, start-ups and sales, especially as it attracts and retains top talent as a thriving hive for the tech industry.

Here’s five big businesses that started off in the city (and it’s surrounding areas) before launching to national and international success:

• Note: The first five businesses below are used as examples only and are not customers or former customers of, or affiliated with, Together.

1. JD Sports

The first ‘John David Sports’ shop opened it’s doors in Bury in 1981, before expanding into Manchester city centre’s iconic Arndale shopping centre two years later. Originally selling general sports equipment, the burgeoning business quickly jumped on the branded sports fashion trend in the UK, stocking popular brands including Nike, Adidas, Reebok and Puma.

Now, the successful JD Group has over 4,850 stores across 49 countries, with an extensive warehousing and distribution network ensuring stock can quickly reach in store and online customers.

Could your business be the next JD Sports? Find out if we could help you secure your first storefront with a commercial mortgage.

2. Peel Group

It’d be hard to mention The Trafford Centre without bringing up the Peel Group, Manchester’s legendary property investors and developers responsible for the iconic shopping centre, Salford Quays’ Media City, and countless other residential and commercial projects across the region and nationwide.

Part of the company’s success is finding and revitalising brownfield land. It’s a strategy that goes back to 1973 when the newly founded Peel Group started out by redeveloping old quarries into industrial sites and retail parks.

With over 36,000 brownfield sites in the UK, there are countless opportunities for developers to transform derelict and disused land in urban areas into residential, commercial and industrial developments.

3. Manchester United

Founded in 1878 as Newton Heath by workers for Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 before moving to Old Trafford 8 years later.

But Manchester United is more than just a football club; it’s a business behemoth rooted in the team’s history and success over the decades. With millions of fans worldwide and an unmatched commercial machine, the club made a record revenue of £661.8 million in 2024.

4. Matillion

Now for a business born in this century that has grown exponentially since establishing in 2011 to become one of only 5 unicorns (a private company valued at over $1bn) in the North West.

Though its business doesn’t rely on physical products, Matillion’s growth has been supported by office space that fosters collaboration and innovation. The company currently has four offices globally – in Denver, Madrid, Hyderabad and, of course, Manchester – with the latter occupying 27,000 sq ft of prime office space close to the popular Spinningfields area.

With over 10,000 digital and tech-based companies calling Manchester home, it’s easy to see why the city has become an attractive hub for the tech industry. Could your start-up be the next $1bn+ tech unicorn?

5. Beauty Bay

Founded in Manchester in 1999, Beauty Bay began life as a fragrance retailer before pivoting to become one of the UK’s leading online beauty destinations. With a curated selection of cult and indie brands, the company quickly gained a loyal following among beauty enthusiasts looking for the latest trends and hard-to-find products.

Today, Beauty Bay operates entirely online, shipping thousands of orders daily from its high-tech distribution centre in Trafford Park – one of the largest and most advanced logistics hubs in the North West. This strategic location allows the brand to offer fast, reliable delivery across the UK and beyond, with same-day dispatch and next-day delivery options available for most customers.

6. Together

Last, but by no means least, in our list of successful companies made in Manchester is Together (we couldn’t resist). Opening doors since in 1974, we provide a range of specialist finance products for a wide range of scenarios, even when other lenders can’t.

And we’ve just embarked on a major transformation project of our own, expanding and modernising our Cheadle offices to meet the needs of our 800+ employees and providing the best service for our customers.

Even after 50 years of common-sense lending and a loan book of over £7.8bn, we’re still growing, moving forward, and helping our customers achieve their personal and commercial property ambitions.

That’s six big businesses born in Manchester, but we could literally be here forever listing success stories from the city. Find out how commercial property is performing, and the opportunities for businesses in Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow, as part of our latest report Cities in focus 2025: Commercial property insights.

And if you’re looking to be the next big brand out of Manchester, get in touch to see if we can help you on your journey.