Outlet & Site Databases
Over many years, we’ve developed countless databases at SPA – for client projects, for sale to clients for their own in-house use, for SPA product development and analysis, and for incorporation into software products. As a result, we get lots of database request from new and established users of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) wanting data for their systems. Examples include:


To ensure data is up-to-date, we source most of it on request from relevant specialists. SPA enjoys very favourable rates from Market Location, Retail Locations, Experian, the Business Database and many more. Clients buy through SPA to get the benefit of our expertise and advice, and because they want more than just raw data. Typically they want outlet data which is grid referenced, segmented and coded to help turn it into actionable business intelligence. That’s Databases Plus.


Plus – Segmentation & Coding Services
Much of our work is classification or segmentation. A single project may involve classifying outlets into types (supermarket, convenience grocery, CTN, pub, restaurant etc.), then adding GeoDem variables (Census data or area types) and information on local jobs (blue collar, white collar, professional) and/or employers (farms, factories, warehouses, shops, offices).

We therefore offer four specialist services:

1. Building and Supplying Ready-Segmented Databases – we source the data you need, attach segment codes & flags to your spec and supply you with the resulting dataset.
2. Bespoke Segmentation & Coding of Client Databases – taking your own database, cleansing it as necessary, attaching segment codes & flags to your spec (developing ad hoc methods for segmentation if necessary) and supplying it all back to you.
3. Bespoke Area Classification – tell us what units you want classified (Postcodes, Sectors etc.) and what for. We’ll produce the classification that’s right for you. We use a range of techniques, favouring Cluster Analysis where many different variables are involved. SPA’s Segmentz hints at the huge range of possibilities.
4. Territory Design and Geographical Coding – dividing the UK into new non-overlapping areas (e.g. sales territories or franchise areas). We might allocate outlets to their respective areas to generate territories of approximately equal sales potential. Territories are built from Postcode Sectors or Districts, aiming for compactness and driving efficiency. If required we can also allocate outlets to the appropriate areas in your existing territories.


About SPA Areas
SPA Areas are our own network of 1,214 standard shopping catchment areas in Great Britain – designed specifically for broad-brush market analysis and area planning. They are built out of c9,000 Postcode Sectors (eg AB10 1), making it very easy to allocate customers addresses to SPA Areas (by looking up their postcode) or to analyse any postcoded data file by SPA Area.

SPA Areas aim to approximate the catchments of the main shopping areas and towns for small comparison items like shoes. Main shopping areas tend to be in town centres, so SPA Area boundaries fall mainly in rural hinterlands with low populations. But SPA Areas are non-overlapping – each Sector belongs to one only – constraining the allocation of some outlying villages. Even so, SPA Areas indicate broadly where “most people” from a Sector may be “most likely” to shop. Big cities and conurbations are split into natural communities around specific local shopping areas.


SPA Area Codes
Each SPA Area has a recognisable name and a code. Codes are structured as follows:



What Are SPA Areas For?
The tiered structure makes SPA Areas ideal for overview analysis – showing where your data (M&S branches or beef dripping sales) is concentrated, be it near-national, regional, or highly local. We also use SPA Areas to build quick-fire regions if there isn’t time to start from scratch. The target number of regions must be fairly small – otherwise SPA Areas are too “lumpy”. They work best where regions don’t need to be of equal “size” so long as the boundaries go between towns not though the middle.


Types of Database from SPA

“Point” Databases
We provide a lot of databases containing information on individual points, sites or outlets. For a full list, see SPA Databases. The most popular include the following:



Statistical Databases
You can’t get Census Data at point-level (e.g. for individual households) – it’s confidential. So it comes as statistics: totals for everyone living in a given area – added together. Of course, other data – which is available for points – can also be turned into statistics for areas. We offer the following:



Geographies for Statistical Databases






Look-up Tables
Ever needed a look-up table? You may have lots of customer Postcodes and want to know which MOSAIC Types your customers belong to, or which Council (Local Authority) area or shopping centre catchment area they live. You may want to analyse your sales by TV Region, or compare your performance with published statistics by the Government’s official Standard Economic Region.

For tasks of this kind, you may well need a look-up table. For more details, see SPA Databases which lists some of the look-up databases we offer.

On the other hand, you may NOT want to buy the look-up tables – you may just need someone to do a bit of analysis for you. If so, give SPA a call on 01926 334978 and we’ll be delighted to help.

Or maybe you’ve got areas of your own – perhaps sales territories – and all you want is an easy way to allocate enquiries from newspaper ads to the right territory. Again you need a look-up table. But it’s not one that we’ll already have on the shelf here at SPA. No matter: give us a call on 01926 334978 or email us at info@spamarketing.co.uk with the details and we’ll build one just for you.


Other Data
If you want any kind of data not listed here, please give us a call or email us. When we know what you’re looking for, we’ll tell you whether or not we can help. Please note that we no longer supply mapping boundary files, road mapping databases, and route planning road network databases.


Databases Formats
Files can be supplied in several formats so you can incorporate them into your own GIS or database system. Those most often used are as follows:

Text only / Print Version / Site Map