Record sales have electrical and electronic component manufacturers on a “growth-footing” for the year ahead, new figures have revealed.
Small and mid-sized producers saw sales revenue rise to an average of £281,489 in the final quarter of last year – reaching the highest level since 2018. The Q4 2025 result was more than double that of Q4 2024, pointing to sustained growth across the UK’s SME electrical manufacturing base.

Similarly, purchasing and stock on hand figures point to optimism in forecasts and future orders, with firms replenishing inventory to meet upcoming demand. Purchasing lifted 52% in the final quarter of last year compared to the previous quarter, while stock on hand grew by 80% QoQ.

Lead times stood at 18 days – up four QoQ but down one YoY, while profitability declined by 4% QoQ and was up 46% YoY.
The figures appear in the latest manufacturing report from inventory management specialist Unleashed, an inventory management software platform popular with small and mid-sized manufacturers, wholesalers and distributors. Its quarterly report is based on data from more than 600 UK firms using the software, across manufacturing categories such as food and drink, clothing and fashion, and construction.
Commenting on the findings, Joe Llewellyn, GM of ERP Small Business at The Access Group, the parent company of Unleashed, said:

“The unstoppable appetite for tech, in both the consumer and business worlds, is helping to drive growth in the sector. Even with global competition, UK firms are holding their own by focusing on R&D and innovation, as well as internal efficiencies which help to keep prices down.

“As with the other manufacturing categories we analysed, electrical manufacturers focussed on strategic restocking in the final part of the year – replenishing inventory to meet customer demand, which has put them on a growth-ready footing. And sales are among the strongest we’ve seen, which is helping offset the costs of maintaining higher levels of inventory.

Looking ahead to the coming months, he also acknowledged the uncertainty many manufacturers were facing: “We don’t yet know what impact the global picture will have on manufacturers. We may see increases in energy prices, shortages in some materials, or disruption to shipping routes which increase lead times and costs. As always, smaller firms are most vulnerable to this kind of disruption – but they are also more agile and can respond faster to changing situations.”

Unleashed’s report also compared performance across 12 different manufacturing categories.

  • Average sales revenue stood at £411,430 in the final quarter of last year – the third highest since 2018. The Q4 2025 result was 49% higher than Q4 2024, a sign of continued growth among SME manufacturers.
  • The electronics and telecommunication industry also performed well. Figures show that average sales revenue stood at £460,993 – up 22% QoQ – while purchasing also rose 63% in the same period.
  • Energy and chemicals saw the biggest QoQ drop in sales revenue (-18%). Building and construction also saw a notable decline in sales revenue (-17%) though this could be a correction on the previous quarter when it surged by nearly 43%. It was also up 81% YoY.