Chain stores in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland has locations of 139 of the chains on our maps. The most common is Spar, with 381 locations, followed by Centra (102). The chains most typical of Northern Ireland, compared with the rest of the country, are Spar, Centra and Maxol.
Most Northern Ireland chains
Chains with far more locations per person in Northern Ireland than in the country as a whole.
| Chain | Locations here | Per 100,000 people | vs. national rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spar | 381 | 19.8 | 6.4× |
| Centra | 102 | 5.3 | 36× |
| Maxol | 102 | 5.3 | 36× |
| Tim Hortons | 12 | 0.6 | 6.9× |
| Texaco | 73 | 3.8 | 4.7× |
| Sally Beauty | 18 | 0.9 | 3.1× |
| Caffè Nero | 30 | 1.6 | 3.0× |
| O2 | 23 | 1.2 | 2.8× |
| River Island | 10 | 0.5 | 2.4× |
| Rituals | 8 | 0.4 | 2.3× |
| Costcutter | 87 | 4.5 | 2.3× |
| Poundstretcher | 19 | 1.0 | 2.3× |
| Poundland | 28 | 1.5 | 2.0× |
| Ladbrokes | 73 | 3.8 | 1.9× |
| Smyths Toys | 7 | 0.4 | 1.9× |
Most common chains in Northern Ireland
| Chain | Category | Locations | Per 100,000 people |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spar | Convenience store | 381 | 19.8 |
| Centra | Convenience store | 102 | 5.3 |
| Maxol | Petrol station | 102 | 5.3 |
| Subway | Sandwiches & subs | 89 | 4.6 |
| Costcutter | Convenience store | 87 | 4.5 |
| Ladbrokes | Betting shop | 73 | 3.8 |
| Texaco | Petrol station | 73 | 3.8 |
| Max Spielmann | Services | 61 | 3.2 |
| Domino's | Pizza | 49 | 2.5 |
| Boots | Pharmacy | 46 | 2.4 |
| Nisa | Convenience store | 45 | 2.3 |
| Lidl | Grocery | 44 | 2.3 |
| Card Factory | Books & gifts | 41 | 2.1 |
| McDonald's | Burgers | 36 | 1.9 |
| BP | Petrol station | 35 | 1.8 |
| Starbucks | Coffee | 34 | 1.8 |
| B&M | Discount store | 33 | 1.7 |
| Greggs | Bakery | 33 | 1.7 |
| Iceland | Grocery | 33 | 1.7 |
| British Heart Foundation | Charity shop | 32 | 1.7 |
| KFC | Chicken | 32 | 1.7 |
| Premier | Convenience store | 32 | 1.7 |
| Caffè Nero | Coffee | 30 | 1.6 |
| Marks & Spencer | Department store | 28 | 1.5 |
| Poundland | Discount store | 28 | 1.5 |
Big chains with no Northern Ireland location
These chains are in at least 10 of the 12 UK regions but have no Northern Ireland location in our data: Londis, Morrisons Daily, Coral, Aldi, Marston's, William Hill, Shell, Esso, Sainsbury's Local, Greene King, NatWest, Toolstation, Lloyds Bank, Morrisons, Budgens, Waitrose, Best-one, Gulf, Jewson and Pizza Hut.
Store locations from All the Places (data from September 2026), for the 139 chains in Guess the Chain UK with a location here. Population: 1,928,446 (ONS estimate for mid-2025). Counts can be a little off as stores open and close.