Britain's storage industry has doubled in size since 2002 and now generates an income of £310 million a year, reported The Manchester Evening News in July. According to the Cheshire-based Self Storage Association, more than 2,000 employees operate more than 100 companies around the country.
But the association believes the market is still in its infancy. Chief Executive Rodney Walker said, "While it's unlikely the British market will reach the levels of penetration achieved by U.S. operators, there is growth potential." The nine biggest companies, including Safestore, Big Yellow, Space Maker and Lok'N'Store, control almost 50 percent of the British market.