We are pleased to announce our latest information initiative – the Prolific North Top 100 Brands.
The information we have collated on the North’s biggest spending brands makes fascinating reading and shines a welcome light on familiar household names and also on several surprising names, particularly the numerous privately-owned concerns running highly profitable businesses from the North.
This new compilation has been produced with the support of Tangerine PR and The Juice Academy and we would like to acknowledge our thanks to MediaCom North, which pulled together key aspects of the research.
The Prolific North Top 100 Brands initiative complements our growing range of annual information features including our Top 50 PR Agencies, Top 50 Integrated Agencies and the Top 50 Digital Agencies initiatives.
You can read more about the methodology behind the research here, as well as an analysis from a brand expert here.
The Prolific North Top 100 Brands 2014, in association with Tangerine PR and The Juice Academy
| Brand | Ownership | Location | No. of Employees | Expenditure £ |
| Asda (Stores & Money) | Walmart (USA) | Leeds | 143,125 | 98,911,417 |
| Wm Morrison Supermarkets | plc | Bradford | 132,000 | 81,502,360 |
| Dfs Furniture | Advent International | Doncaster | 3,500 | 75,635,531 |
| Shop Direct Home Shopping | Barclay Brothers | Liverpool | 300 | 50,322,670 |
| Co-operative Group (retail, banking, funeral and pharma) | Co-op Group | Manchester | 7,000 | 48,976,414 |
| JD Williams | N Brown plc | Manchester | 4,500 | 47,663,116 |
| Halifax Building Society | Lloyds Bank Plc | Halifax | 36,500 | 43,841,737 |
| Kellogg’s | Kellogg’s Company (USA) | Manchester | 700 | 43,482,170 |
| Moneysupermarket | plc | Ewloe, Chester | 500 | 26,617,944 |
| Bensons Beds | Steinhoff UK Retail | Accrington | 1,200 | 17,744,695 |
| Webuyanycar.com | CC Automotive Group | Manchester | 1,500 | 17,016,290 |
| Scs Furniture Stores | Share & Sons | Sunderland | 2,000 | 15,731,148 |
| Arla Foods | Arla Foods,Denmark | Leeds | 2,000 | 15,632,600 |
| Beaconsfield Footwear | Independent | Skelmersdale | 475 | 14,998,017 |
| Cotton Traders | Independent | Altrincham | 1,200 | 13,714,295 |
| Damart | Damartex group, French plc | Bingley | 500 | 12,788,510 |
| Matalan | Independent | Skelmersdale | 2,500 | 12,649,922 |
| Iceland Frozen Foods | Independent | Deeside | 600 | 12,635,241 |
| Plumbs | Independent | Preston | 300 | 11,062,204 |
| Plusnet | BT Group plc | Sheffield | 90 | 10,897,366 |
| Sofaworks | Independent | Warrington | n/a | 10,321,712 |
| Phones 4u | 4u group | Newcastle-under-Lyme | 5,000 | 10,315,571 |
| McCain Foods | McCain Foods Canada | Scarborough | 20,000 | 9,468,294 |
| Chums | Independent | Liverpool | 60 | 9,391,871 |
| MBNA Europe Bank | Bank of America | Chester | 4,500 | 9,181,559 |
| Kingstown Assoc | Independent | Driffield | 300 | 9,061,262 |
| Injury Lawyers 4u | Various law firms including JMW | Manchester | 50 | 8,838,078 |
| National Holidays | Shearings Group | Wigan | 375 | 8,788,436 |
| Jet2.com Flights | Dart Group plc | Leeds | 600 | 8,727,104 |
| Shearings | Independent | Wigan | 2,800 | 8,550,435 |
| Wren Living | EBUYER | Barton-on-Humber | 500 | 8,002,100 |
| Dr. Oetker | Dr. August Oetker KG, Germany | Leeds | 2,000 | 7,907,297 |
| Safestyle (Uk) | Style Group | Bradford | 250 | 7,441,024 |
| Bet365 | Independent | Stoke | 2,000 | 7,398,938 |
| Warburtons | Independent | Bolton | 6,000 | 7,254,443 |
| Gladstone Brookes | Independent | Warrington | 20 | 6,531,726 |
| Sky Bet & Vegas | British Sky Broadcasting Plc | Leeds | 23,000 | 6,466,409 |
| Go Outdoors | Independent | Sheffield | 1,050 | 5,638,826 |
| Magnet | Independent | Darlington | 3,000 | 5,511,525 |
| Marks & Spencer Money | M&S plc | Chester | 1,500 | 5,293,201 |
| Laterooms | TUI Travel plc | Manchester | 375 | 5,240,125 |
| Help Link Uk | Independent | Leeds | 175 | 5,174,386 |
| Amplifon | Independent | Manchester | 500 | 4,991,766 |
| Haribo Dunhills | HARIBO, Germany | Pontefract | 600 | 4,935,027 |
| Done Bookmakers/BetFred | Independent | Warrington | n/a | 4,662,755 |
| First Direct | HSBC Holdings Plc | Leeds | 2,500 | 4,470,834 |
| Bettys & Taylors Of Harrogate | Independent | Harrogate | 400 | 4,431,481 |
| Great Rail Journeys | ECI Partners | York | 250 | 4,317,153 |
| Lakeland | Independent | Windermere | 200 | 4,311,478 |
| Nisa Todays Holdings | Independent | Scunthorpe | 450 | 4,288,460 |
| Victoria Plum | Independent | Hull | n/a | 4,275,510 |
| Sjm Concerts | Independent | Stockport | 100 | 4,195,889 |
| First4lawyers | Independent | Huddersfield | 10 | 4,155,717 |
| Youngs Bluecrest Seafood | Findus Equity Co SA | Grimsby | 3,000 | 3,748,734 |
| Yorkshire Building Society | Independent | Bradford | 3,500 | 3,665,320 |
| AB World Foods/Pataks | Garfield Weston Foundation | Leigh | 700 | 3,538,132 |
| Stepchange Debt Charity | Independent | Leeds | n/a | 3,529,790 |
| Vanquis Bank | Provident Financial Group | Bradford | 600 | 3,492,991 |
| Neville Johnson | Key Capital Partners LLP | Manchester | 250 | 3,431,783 |
| JD Sports | plc | Bury | 5,500 | 3,417,533 |
| Entertainment Magpie | Independent | Macclesfield | 300 | 3,270,005 |
| Adidas | Adidas-Salomon AG, Germany | Stockport | 1,000 | 3,214,573 |
| Adams Foods | Irish Dairy Board | Leek | 400 | 3,073,449 |
| Leger Travel | Independent | Rotherham | 100 | 3,055,847 |
| Swinton Insurance | MMA Holdings UK Plc | Manchester | 5,500 | 2,999,482 |
| Pure Collection | Independent | Harrogate | 300 | 2,921,027 |
| Joe BrownsClothing | Independent | Leeds | 150 | 2,875,127 |
| Mantis Mowers | Independent | Stockport | n/a | 2,859,731 |
| Barratt Developments | plc | Newcastle | 6,000 | 2,616,179 |
| Hampson Hughes Solicitors | Independent | Liverpool | n/a | 2,525,992 |
| Jacob’s Bakery | United Biscuits | Liverpool | 393 | 2,521,201 |
| David Nieper | Independent | Alfreton | 275 | 2,489,133 |
| Treyn Hols | Great Rail Group | York | 250 | 2,460,649 |
| Country Collection | WCF Ltd | Cumbria | 90 | 2,365,177 |
| Halewood International | Independent | Liverpool | 450 | 2,307,411 |
| Park Group | plc | Liverpool | 200 | 2,305,846 |
| Express Gifts | Findel plc | Manchester | 700 | 2,286,896 |
| Saucy Fish Co | Independent | Grimsby | 800 | 2,275,591 |
| United Carpets & Beds | plc | Rotherham | 250 | 2,200,725 |
| Scenic Tours | Melbourne, Australia | Manchester | 20 | 2,146,839 |
| National Tyre Services | Axle Group Holdings | Stockport | 2,500 | 2,091,639 |
| David Ormerod Hearing Aids | Sonova Holding & Boots | Llandudno | 350 | 2,062,847 |
| Yorkshire Bank | National Australia Group | Leeds | 8,000 | 2,058,061 |
| Flamingo Land | Independent | Malton | 180 | 2,053,808 |
| Litecraft Group | Independent | Manchester | 100 | 2,036,468 |
| Betta Living | Independent | Oldham | 500 | 1,977,692 |
| Cottages4you | Wyndham Vacation Rentals | Earby, Lancs | 600 | 1,970,763 |
| PZ Cussons | plc | Manchester | 250 | 1,955,840 |
| Slimming World | Independent | Alfreton | 280 | 1,892,317 |
| New York Bakery Co | Maple Leaf Bakery UK | Rotherham | 12 | 1,844,795 |
| Pets At Home | plc | Handforth, Cheshire | 5,000 | 1,843,983 |
| Abel & Cole | Phoenix Equity Partners | Hull | n/a | 1,804,363 |
| Cellar Trends | Independent | Swadlincote | 150 | 1,760,291 |
| J Parker Dutch Bulbs | Independent | Manchester | 150 | 1,745,283 |
| Boohoo | plc | Manchester | 200 | 1,733,496 |
| Costcutter | Bibby Line Group | York | 150 | 1,704,200 |
| Stoneacre Motors | Independent | Doncaster | 2,000 | 1,602,695 |
| Acorn Mobility | Independent | Steeton, West Yorks | 500 | 1,602,503 |
| Boundary Mill Stores | Libra Textiles | Colne | 1,000 | 1,519,418 |
| Missguided | Independent | Manchester | 200 | 1,493,899 |
Read more about the methodology behind the research here, as well as an analysis from a brand expert here.
