Corner Shops

Executive Summary of Payment Practices in the Corner shops Sector

This report aims to analyse the prevailing payment behaviour within the Corner shops sector, drawing upon a sample size of 30 UK-based companies. The data reveals a payment landscape that is generally stable yet characterised by a distinct divergence between average and median performance. The average payment time stands at 35.1 days, whilst the median is notably lower at 30 days. This discrepancy suggests that whilst the typical company settles invoices within a standard monthly cycle, a minority of slower payers are skewing the arithmetic mean upwards. With a standard deviation of 12.6 days, creditors can generally expect reasonable consistency, though they must realise that volatility exists within the mid-to-upper quartiles of the dataset.

When we organise the companies by payment speed distribution, it becomes evident that the sector displays a strong inclination towards prompt settlement. Over half of the companies analysed (53.3%) fall within the 'Fast' category (0-30 days), and the 25th percentile sits at a swift 27 days. However, amongst the remaining cohort, there is a significant variation in performance. Roughly 23.3% of companies fall into the 'Moderate' band (31-45 days), and a concerning 20% linger in the 'Slow' category (46-60 days). The interquartile range of 15 days (spanning from 27 to 42 days) indicates that the centre of the market is relatively compact, yet the presence of a 'Very Slow' payer taking up to 70 days serves as a caution against assuming uniformity across the sector.

A critical examination of performance reliability highlights that 26.7% of payments are classified as late. Although no companies breached the critical 90-day threshold—a positive indicator of solvency within the Corner shops sector—the fact that 7.6% of payments drag beyond 60 days suggests some administrative friction or cash flow management strategies that do not favour suppliers. The disparity between the fastest payer (16 days) and the slowest (70 days) highlights a significant operational gap. Companies operating within this sector must specialise in robust credit control to manage the minority of clients who deviate from the standard 30-day term.

Geographically, the sample suggests that activity centres heavily around London and the South East, which account for 40% of the dataset combined, followed closely by Yorkshire and The Humber. In conclusion, whilst the Corner shops sector demonstrates healthy fundamental payment hygiene with a strong median performance of 30 days, suppliers should remain vigilant. The data indicates that whilst severe delinquency is absent, nearly a quarter of the sector engages in slow payment practices that could impact working capital. Stakeholders should continue to monitor these trends to ensure the sector does not drift towards the longer payment cycles observed in the 61-90 day bracket.