ABOUT POSTCODES
Developed originally by The Royal Mail to enhance and streamline postal delivery, Postcodes and Postcode geography have
evolved to form an integral part of business planning as an established reference point throughout the United Kingdom.
WHY POSTCODES
It may look simple, but a Postcode is probably the most accurate way to identify a location. A familiar and widely used reference, it provides routing instructions for the delivery of mail and pinpoints on average just 15 addresses. For over 15 years, Royal Mail has supplied Geoplan with the latest Postcode information, which is used in all Geoplan Postcode Maps and Postcode Directories to ensure customers are working with the most recent and relevant information on the market.
OUTWARD CODE
The mail is collected and taken to a mail centre. The first half of the code tells us which delivery office to transport the mail to.
INWARD CODE
At the delivery office (or mail centre) the second half of the postcode, combined
with the building name or number, gives us the location of the delivery point.
HOW THE POSTCODE WORKS
Each Postcode is built up from several layers of geographical information from
the Postcode Area to the Unit Postcode, e.g. the Postcode of Geoplan is HG3 1GP.
HG denotes the Harrogate Postcode Area - there are currently 124 Postcode Areas in the UK. Which represents approximately 220,000 addresses per Area. A total of 27 million data points.
Ideal for:
Displaying national sales and market statistics.
HG3 denotes District three in the Harrogate Postcode Area - there are approximately 3,000 Postcode Districts in the UK.
Which represents approximately 9,000 addresses per District.
Ideal for:
Displaying regional sales and market statistics.
HG3 1 denotes Sector one in District three of the Harrogate Postcode Area - there are approximately 9,000 Postcode Sectors in the UK. Which represents approximately 3,000 addresses per Sector.
Ideal for:
Detailed market analysis applications including; direct marketing, media analysis, retail planning and the management of territory structures on a local level.
HG3 1GP denotes the full, Unit Postcode there are over 1.8 million Unit Postcodes in the UK. Which represents approximately 15 addresses per Unit Postcode.
Ideal for:
Displaying the location of customers, prospects, personnel, stores etc.
WHY DO POSTCODES CHANGE?
This is normally to accommodate new building development - housing estates, business parks, etc. this results in an area with no free Postcodes to allocate.
POSTCODE EXHAUSTION
IMPACT ON BUSINESS
The Postcode changes affect many aspects of business analysis so Postcode products and business data need to be kept up-to-date to maintain their effectiveness.
UPDATED RANGE
Our entire range - maps, books, software, reports and datasets - is updated in line with each Postcode release. Products are available via quick, efficient mail order and online purchasing to ensure you get the latest picture straight away.
GEOPLAN CAN HELP
Geoplan is experienced in dealing with the ever changing Postcode geography, and in helping businesses to get the best from Postcode data.
LATEST MOST ACCURATE RELEASES
Geoplan uses the latest Royal Mail Postcode information in all of its mapping products. With regular Postcode updates from Royal Mail, we can ensure that businesses are working with the most up-to-date information available.
PINPOINTING ADDRESSES
How the Postcode helps pinpoint
addresses more accurately. If the Postcode or part of the Postcode is missing, then the item may need extra sorting time which can be up to 20 times slower than sorting by machine. If any part of a Postcode
is wrong the item might be sent country wide before reaching its proper destination.
GEOPLAN SUPPLIERS
Geoplan Postcode products are the most accurate, reliable and trusted on the market today. This has been achieved by using the latest information from suppliers such as Royal Mail and Ordnance Survey.
Ordnance Survey is the recognised market leader in its field and its name is synonymous with mapping expertise.
Together with its partners, it provides a wide range of internationally renowned products for both business and leisure - from complex digital information to traditional walking maps and road maps.
At the heart of its organisation is a vision that together with its partners, it will be the content provider of choice for location-based information in the new information economy.