An Ocean Digital City

Steeped in maritime history, situated in the wealthy South East and with a £1.09bn spend available in the city centre, Southampton is recognised as the commercial, cultural and retail capital of the south coast.

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Southampton Facts & Figures


The city is currently in the midst of an ambitious transformation plan, attracting billions in investment to the area and fuelling business, leisure and retail growth – completely reinvigorating and regenerating the city for its residents, commuters and tourists alike.

Fast-growing and with an extensive catchment of very affluent communities, Southampton attracts people and business opportunities from across the South.

The city is currently bidding to become the UK City of Culture 2025.


  • 253k residents

    in the Southampton catchment

  • £1.9bn invested

    in new commercial developments

  • 18m+ visitors

    to new retail development Westquay

  • Ranked 3rd

    PwC’s 2018 Good Growth for Cities Index

  • Cruise Capital

    of Europe, welcoming 1.5m visitors annually

  • 34k students

    attending Southampton’s two universities

Top CACI Acorn Groups

  • Student Life

    Index 345 versus UK

  • Career Climbers

    Index 154 versus UK

Southampton’s vibrant arts and culture scene


Boosted by two renowned universities, Southampton offers an impressively diverse blend of retail and leisure activities.

From award-winning parks and brand new, premium shopping and leisure hubs, Southampton offers residents, students and tourists alike an eclectic selection of things to do in the city.


  • The dominant retail hub of the South coast, Southampton has something for everybody. Westquay, the newest retail addition to Southampton, offers shoppers a premium selection of retailers with over 100 stores located across all three floors and drawing in 18m visitors annually.

  • The city is also eagerly awaiting the long-anticipated launch of its historical Bargate Quarter, which will provide even more opportunities for retail and leisure activities.

  • With a long-established maritime history and located next to beautiful waterways, Southampton is a beacon city for boating enthusiasts, delivering activities ranging from sailing, rowing, powerboating and paddle boarding.

  • The city enjoys a busy culture and leisure scene. From art exhibitions at the City Art Gallery and John Hansard Gallery, through to history at maritime museum SeaCity and live gig events at the O2 Guildhall, if culture is your thing, Southampton won’t disappoint.

  • The city also hosts yearly events including music festivals Let’s Rock Southampton and Common People, and sporting events including Let’s Ride Southampton and Southampton marathon.

  • With an army of fiercely loyal fans, Southampton FC play at St Mary’s Stadium and attract football tourism to the city regularly with games featuring in the Premier League and FA Cup.

Southampton Catchment Area


This map shows the different retail catchment areas for the city centre and surrounding cities, divided up into Primary, Secondary, Tertiary and Quaternary catchments.


Legend
  • Primary Catchment
  • Secondary Catchment
  • Tertiary Catchment
  • Quarternary Catchment

Data: © CACI Limited 1984 – 2019 and all other applicable third party notices (Retail Dimensions: Retail Footprint) can be found at: www.caci.co.uk/copyrightnotices.pdf

Map: © Mapbox, © OpenStreetMap

Future Developments in Southampton


The city’s Master Plan is rapidly changing Southampton’s city skyline. With 17 projects planned in commercial, retail and residential development in construction or in the pipeline, the city-scape is set to further evolve with the billions invested so far.


  • Itchen Riverside – Chapel Riverside

    With completion expected in 2022, this waterfront development will house resident, commercial and retail space.

    Learn More

  • Heart of the city – Bargate Quarter

    Somewhat delayed after coronavirus, the proposed update for Southampton’s new Bargate Quarter redevelopment will include 500 new homes, shops and restaurants.

    Learn More

  • Itchen Riverside – Meridian Waterside

    Continuing the regeneration of the Itchen Riverside area, the new Meridian Waterside will open up a further 350 homes for city dwellers.

    Learn More

  • Central Business District

    This VIP Council project will incorporate substantial office, retail and leisure and housing developments.

    Learn More

Ocean Large Format Digital in Southampton


Delivering strong coverage for TV-light and youth audiences

Media Arguments

Ocean is the facilitator of digital connectivity in the OOH world, with hundreds of prestigious locations and iconic screens across the UK. We are the leading providers of large format OOH and DOOH advertising nationwide and only Ocean can provide brands with a UK-wide outdoor digital presence.

  • Ocean delivers 1.3m impacts for Southampton-based adults each fortnight

  • Ocean delivers 28% coverage for TV-light audiences

  • Ocean delivers 26% coverage for those aged between 18-34

Ocean's 6 Locations in Southampton


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