UK Commerce Models Paying Suppliers Better Than Average, But Disparities Remain

The Numbers

• Companies analysed: 181
• Average PaymentCheck Score (Commerce Models sector): 63.0/100
• UK average PaymentCheck Score (all sectors): 50.0/100
• Difference: Commerce Models is 13.0 points above the UK average
• Top payer: Slater Menswear (97.6/100)
• Bottom payer: Jimmy Choo Group Limited (4.5/100)
• Regional highest average: Wales (71.6/100, 4 companies)
• Regional lowest average: London & East of England tied (65.8/100)

What Stands Out

While the Commerce Models sector appears healthier than the UK average, the vast chasm between the best and worst payers – Slater Menswear's score is over 21 times higher than Jimmy Choo's – suggests significant internal discrepancies and a wide range of payment ethics. Despite being the location for the largest number of companies analysed, London's average PaymentCheck Score aligns with the East of England at 65.8/100, suggesting factors beyond mere geographical location influence payment performance.

Best Payers

1. SLATER MENSWEAR - 97.6/100
2. CHRISTIE MANSON & WOODS LIMITED - 97.5/100
3. JO MALONE LIMITED - 97.2/100
4. JUST EAT.CO.UK LTD - 96.7/100
5. CINCH CARS LIMITED - 96.3/100

Worst Payers

1. JIMMY CHOO GROUP LIMITED - 4.5/100
2. BOOHOO.COM UK LIMITED - 11.2/100
3. PZ CUSSONS BEAUTY LLP - 24.95/100
4. ABB LIMITED - 25.2/100
5. BRITVIC SOFT DRINKS LIMITED - 28.9/100

Regional Patterns

Although the sample sizes are small, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland boast higher regional average PaymentCheck Scores than London, which had the largest pool of companies; this may indicate that size and complexity are barriers to better payment practices, but this needs further investigation using a larger and more diverse sample.

Consider using a late payment calculator to understand the cost of delayed invoices.

One-line takeaway: With a score of 4.5/100, the worst payer, Jimmy Choo Group Limited, highlights that even within a relatively strong sector, some businesses severely lag behind on payment performance.

2025: The Story

Commerce Models' overall payment performance saw a slight dip in 2025, with the average score across 181 companies declining by 1.0 point to 63.0. This year highlighted notable shifts in individual company practices, rather than a broad sector trend. ESTEE LAUDER COSMETICS LIMITED emerged as a top performer, dramatically improving its score by an impressive 24.1 points to reach 90.2/100, showcasing a significant commitment to timely payments. Conversely, LIBERTY RETAIL LIMITED experienced a notable decline of 6.1 points, bringing its score to 59.2/100, now sitting below the overall average. While the overall landscape saw fewer companies tracked, major players like APPLE (UK) LIMITED (64.8/100) and DFS TRADING LIMITED (66.9/100) joined the dataset, adding new significant names to monitor. Suppliers should pay close attention to the specific payment trends of their individual clients, as company-level changes were more pronounced than market-wide movements.