How to search for sites directly using the location database

Sloc Local’s built-in location database allows you to quickly identify up to thousands of relevant sites for your local merger case. It is especially useful to kick-start the compilation of sites when a definitive, reputable data source is unavailable or you need an overview for scoping or feasibility studies.

1. Define your geographic scope

Begin by selecting the country and (optionally) more specific regions for your search.

Select a country (required)

• Start typing the country name or code and select it from the dropdown

• All countries are referenced in English

Filter to more granular regions (optional)

• Start typing to search and select more granular geographic area names — multiple can be selected

• Some regions are listed in the local language, not English

• Areas are grouped by division area subtype (e.g. Region, County, Local Admin), see Appendix for details

• Always check the map preview to confirm your selections align with your expectations

2. Identify your product market

Choose the most appropriate category or categories for your product market.

Select the category

• Start typing to search for one or multiple relevant categories that best align with your product market

• Categories are grouped hierarchically (e.g. Retail > Shopping > Supermarket)

Refine using advanced site filters

You can fine-tune your search with the following filters:

Confidence

• The system’s confidence (50–100%) that a site exists and is active

• Lowering the threshold includes more sites; increasing it limits to higher-confidence entries

Categorisation

• Any category: Includes all sites tagged with your selected category, regardless of whether it’s their primary or secondary tag

• Primary category: Includes only sites where the selected category is listed as the primary tag

For most cases, you can leave the advanced filters to the default setup.

3. Search and review results

• Click Search to return all matching sites from the location database

• Use the map view to review your results, the total count of sites is shown in the top right corner of the map

• Hover over a site to see its name, address, and fascia (if known)

Important things to know about the location database

Source data

• Sites are based on a combination of open-source data from Meta and Microsoft

• Accuracy and completeness varies by geography and category

• We highly recommend reviewing and refining the results carefully

Not a definitive data source

This feature is intended for use when:

• A client or verified third-party dataset isn’t available, or

• A quick competitive assessment is needed for a proposal or early-stage review

• It is not a replacement for verified data when used in formal filings

Fascia/owner field may need cleaning

This data is sourced from contributors and may include:

• Inconsistent spellings of fascia names

• Incorrect or incomplete entries

Sloc’s fascia mapping tool helps you clean and standardise this field later in your workflow

Appendix: Division area subtypes