Reading is an important commercial centre in the Thames Valley and Southern
England. The town hosts the headquarters of several British companies and the
UK offices of foreign multinationals, as well as being a major retail centre.
Whilst located close enough to London to be sometimes regarded as part of the
London commuter belt, Reading is a net inward destination for commuters. During
the morning peak period, there are some 30,000 inward arrivals in the town,
compared to 24,000 departures.
Major companies BG Group, ING Direct, Microsoft, Oracle Hibu (formerly Yell
Group), have their headquarters in Reading
