Trade profiles (4): food and drink (1)

Introduction

Trade profiles (4) shows the proportion of all Bournemouth commercial listings taken by food and drink businesses as reported by directories published during the period 1859-1898. Listings used appear within the entire Greater Westover area

Trade profiles (4): tables

Food & drink: share of all enterprises	1859	1871	1880	1889	1898
Food & Drink	16%	19%	14%	14%	15%
Rest	84%	81%	86%	86%	85%

Split between food & drink types	1859	1871	1880	1889	1898
Grocer & provisions	27%	35%	41%	33%	31%
Meat & Fish	23%	19%	17%	19%	22%
Fruit & Vegetables	4%	5%	8%	10%	14%
Baker	8%	8%	13%	10%	11%
Dairy	12%	11%	8%	12%	9%
Wine, spirits & beer	19%	11%	12%	10%	8%
Confectioner	8%	10%	1%	5%	6%

Indexed growth rates	1859	1871	1880	1889	1898
Grocer & provisions	1.00	3.14	8.57	14.71	21.14
Meat & Fish	1.00	2.00	4.17	10.00	17.17
Fruit & Vegetables	1.00	3.00	12.00	32.00	64.00
Baker	1.00	2.50	9.50	16.00	25.00
Dairy	1.00	2.33	3.67	13.00	13.67
Wine, spirits & beer	1.00	1.40	3.40	6.20	7.60
Confectioner	1.00	3.00	1.00	8.00	14.00
Total category	1.00	2.38	5.62	12.04	18.15
All categories	1.00	1.99	6.35	13.64	19.65

Geographic distribution across Greater Westover	1859	1871	1880	1889	1898
Bournemouth	73%	63%	49%	36%	31%
Boscombe Pokesdown	0%	8%	18%	24%	30%
Springbourne	0%	15%	16%	20%	24%
Southbourne	0%	0%	0%	1%	1%
Westbourne	0%	0%	3%	6%	3%
Winton Moordown	0%	0%	11%	11%	11%
Rural Greater Westover	27%	15%	3%	2%	1%

Trade profiles (4): discussion

The food and drink category includes several sections as designated by directories: grocers, bakers, confectioners, meat and fish, fruit and vegetables, dairy, wine and spirits. Together, these businesses accounted for around 15% of all enterprises 1859-1898, the second largest category after ‘hospitality’. The proportion taken by these businesses varied little over the period. Inside the category (Table 2), the sub-divisions took different shares, while those proportions altered over time. Grocers, bakers, and confectioners often overlapped: grocer-bakers, baker-confectioners. Taken together, they accounted for almost half of the entire category by 1898. The other businesses in rough terms accounted for similar proportions. While the shares taken varied over the period, two trends appear. Fruit and vegetable suppliers increased their share of the category, while wine and spirit merchants decreased theirs. This may reflect a growing awareness of healthy foods as well as the increasing success of Temperance campaigners.

Table 3 shows the growth rates for this category, both overall and by sub-division. Compared to all enterprises, participation in this category increased at a slower level. Hence, while growth occurred as a natural part of the town’s acceleration, this category did not attract people so much as others. Increases below the category’s average occurred for meat and fish, dairy, confectionery, and alcohol. Above average growth occurred for grocers, bakers, and greengrocers. The 1898 figure for the latter appears a statistical quirk, but it does not obscure the categories substantial growth.

Table 4 shows a familiar pattern whereby commerce spread into Bournemouth’s suburbs. As a result, the town’s share declined every period, until, by 1898, it accounted for under a third of the category within Greater Westover. Substantial growth appears within ‘Bournemouth East’ as Boscombe with Pokesdown and Springbourne accounted for more than half of food and drink enterprises.

References

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