Partner Article

Where can I find a chemist?

It might not be surprising that Blackpool has more bed and breakfasts than the national average, but for our delight and delectation Barclays have put together a business trade map of the UK to show us where it’s easiest to get hold of a plumber (Doncaster) or an estate agent (Kensington).

The information is available at the Barclays website, and shows that Kensington has ten times fewer plumbers than average, and that Camden has three times as many accountants as the majority of the country.

John Davis, marketing director of Barclays Local Business, said: “Most of us have had experiences of trying to track down a plumber or electrician and this analysis highlights where different business types dominate.

“However, what the report really shows is just how important small businesses are to the country as a whole. For instance, whether it is going to the local for a pint, on holiday to a B&B or to the newsagent for a paper, all these services which we take for granted are provided by small business people up and down the country. These small businesses are responsible for in excess of 50 per cent of the UK’s GDP and without them the country would just grind to a halt.”

The North East boasts some slightly dubious claims to fame in the Barclays figures - Gateshead has more than twice the average number of public houses relative to the national average, and Hartlepool and Darlington have the highest concentrations of gambling and betting outlets with nearly ten times the national average. Middlesbrough, somewhat oddly, has the highest level of chemists.

For more information on Barclays Local Business go to www.barclays.co.uk/localbusiness.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .