YORK’s ‘best-performing’ business is an online retailer of musical instruments and equipment.

Gear 4 Music topped this year’s York Top 100 business listings after being assessed on business indicators such as turnover, profit, growth and staff numbers.

The sixth edition of the York Top 100 Businesses annual report is produced by The Press, with partners York St John University and City of York Council.

The university uses an algorithm in its calculations, for the rankings, which was published in yesterday's (Thursday's) York Press.

At an event to launch the report for 2022, York Press sales director Steve Lowe confirmed the assessments are ‘done on data’ and are ‘not subjective’, so unlike the York Press Business Awards.

“We want to showcase York as a fantastic place to do business. We want business to use the York 100 for PR, for staff, for customers.”

The event at the university’s Temple Hall featured major figures from across the city’s business and academic community.

Professor Rob Mortimer, York St John’s Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and International, agreed with Mr Lowe that the event celebrates and showcases the range of businesses in the city.

“York St John has gone from strength to strength,” he said.

It has doubled research, increased student numbers substantially, particularly in business subjects, and in international students.

The university was also celebrating one year of its Enterprise Centre, which contains 11 businesses.

Kyle Haughton, managing director of headline sponsor City Cruises said: “In 2022 City Cruises York had its most profitable year ever. This was driven by the domestic market , the staycation and good weather.”

But he warned: “The business world is changing, post-Covid there are new challenges to overcome, recruitment, cost of living and changing consumers behaviour.”

Mr Haughton also spoke of the support City Cruises gave to organisations in York.

Star speaker former England rugby international Tony Underwood, who lives in Northallerton, gave a masterclass on how to achieve business success.

Among his tips were: You have to adapt to change to survive, explaining how he retrained as an airline pilot. Business is about ‘feel’, about what you want to do, not have to do. You also have to know where you are going.

“There is value in everyone. Your job is to see it in them and them to see it too,” he said.

Dr Rebecca Biggins, associate dean of the business school then explained how over 12,000 York companies were assessed for the York 100.

In addition to the rankings, awards were presented.

The Highest Climber went to York Racecourse.

The One to Watch Award went to Scooby Bidco Ltd, who trade as VetPartners.

And Top Business was Gear4 Music.

CFO Chris Scott said his business is the biggest online music retailer in the UK, with a £150million-plus turnover.

Sales are ‘picking up’ and he is optimistic for the future, he added.