Wholesaling is your flexible friend

Have you noticed just how much is happening in wholesaling!

This vital layer of operational activity in the flooring sector is getting organised like never before and it’s good news for independent retailers who increasingly rely on the flexibility of wholesalers to support their business when the going gets tough.

Wholesaling is moving ahead fast in many directions. The trade has seen the growth and investment from major players like Kellars, Headlam with Everyroom, and Likewise who are now major suppliers with impressive brand portfolios of their own.

Other distributors are getting increasingly organised too and 2024 is
set to see significant expansions in the activities among many organisations to enhance their product range and service response across national networks.

With 25 depots across the UK and Ireland, floorwise is a well-known name in the industry and has a fearsome reputation for a wide range of products that all offer excellent value and quality. From its leading range of underlays down to its award winning Diamond Gripper, floorwise is a name that’s trusted by installers, retailers and contractors alike.

“As we see increasing pressure from all fronts – rising costs and customer service just two – our depots are dedicated to remaining
as flexible as possible.”

Yet in a climate where the rising cost of living is putting pressure on homeowner’s budgets and installers need to remain as flexible as possible, its independent network is becoming increasingly important. Each depot prides itself on understanding its customers and their needs and is able to respond to the unique challenges of business in the areas it covers. 

Richard Bailey, managing director, floorwise, explains:
“During lockdown, some of our depots were the very few to be
open across the whole industry. That spirit typifies the approach
of floorwise and serves the industry equally well now. As we see increasing pressure from all fronts – rising costs and customer
service just two – our depots are dedicated to remaining as
flexible as possible.”

Every floorwise depot is a great stop-off for last minute emergencies and an even more valuable partner with excellent group buying power for retailers, installers and contractors looking for a reliable and regular service of high-quality, competitively-priced goods.

It looks like 2024 is going to be an interesting year too for the Independent Flooring Group (IFG) - the UK’s newest distributor organisation comprising 16 leading distributors so far, and which already has 18 trade counters and distribution points throughout the
UK since its formation in 2022.

There’s an emphasis on “independent” in IFG while much of the wholesaling trade has consolidated in recent years.
“We want independent retailers and contractors to have a real choice and have created modern product ranges and order systems whilst preserving the traditional approach of independent wholesalers,” says Ken Robb, MD of The independent Flooring Group Ltd.

“We’re fast growing, tech-savvy and have ambitious plans for next year which include a portfolio of nine carpet ranges and distinctive LVT and underlay options – all offering quality and value,” says Ken. 



The carpet options include entry-level ranges plus 3 PP saxonies, a dense, quality stainfree and a wool collection plus a new LVT concept, which will be unveiled in 2024. IFG has also just launched a pioneering eco-friendly underlay - UP! – upcycled from post-consumer polyurethane (PCPU) materials from mattresses, sofas and other household waste. All this alongside a wide range of accessories and installation products make IFG one to watch.

“The coming months are going to be an exciting time for Carpet Line Direct with a new online ordering portal on its way and plenty of activity in the marketplace anticipated.”

Carpet Line Direct is a major flooring distributor based in the North East and currently service the North of England and Scotland with regular deliveries but the new year will see Carpet Line rapidly expanding into further parts of the UK.

The new Aspire LVT and SPC range will be a superb addition to the current product portfolio with four qualities, Elite, Superior, Superior Herringbone and Parquet and then there’s the revamped Nature’s Own range of engineered wood flooring which is setting the agenda with new branding, a range of new designs and decors to be added in 2024 and enhanced sampling.

Carpet Line Direct's point-of-sale is forever improving. “Our newly designed lecterns are becoming a prominent fixture in stores,”
says Gavin Connor, Field Sales Manager.
“The revamped branding is a big hit and the re launch of the fabulous range of Midas Carpets is a must have for retailers wanting to offer something as a bit more of a premium quality."

Personal service and a reliable response

Throughout The Stocklists magazine you’ll see constant developments from other key distributors and strong regional wholesalers. TradeChoice has just launched a Retail Partner Programme with a strong, commercially focused support package that includes locally branded POS and a loyalty scheme alongside an ever increasing Vanguard range of carpets, smooths and accessories.

STS, a fl oorwise member, now operate five depots across the South East and have grown their stockholding considerably, especially for a smart selection of smooth fl ooring products and DMS Flooring Supplies keep building on their service strength, also in the South of England.

Independent retailers are loyal to reliable wholesalers like Columbia in Enfield, Hathaway Flooring who have expanded their Manchester-based warehousing, and the vinyl specialist RBV based in Bradford has been extending into carpets and now has five agents across the country.

“Flooring wholesalers have always had a place in our industry and will always have one,”
says Marius Lazar of Reading-based Ballister.
“When I was a retailer myself, I valued my local wholesaler because they were always there, with stock readily available, to cater to the day-to-day needs of the shop and to get us out of trouble whenever we needed stuff that was urgent or unplanned. 

“A local wholesaler is generally quicker to deliver and can even be cheaper than some manufacturers. As a retailer, I chose to support my local wholesaler, preferring them over the large, national brands because of the personalised service they supplied and because they gave me the feeling that we actually mattered for them, and we were not only an account number. 

“Now, as a wholesaler, I try to put into practice all the things
I learned while running the shop and aim to be a reliable partner
for our customers that also listens to their feedback. We try to be as flexible with the materials we stock and with the way we do things, to ensure we stay relevant in a very crowded market,”
said Marius.

For more information contact:

Ballister • 020 8570 1668 • www.ballister.co.uk

Carpet Line Direct • 01429 892500 • www.carpetlinedirect.co.uk Floorwise • 01509 673974 • www.floorwise.co.uk 

Independent Flooring Group • 01282 442407 • www.floorgear.co.uk

STS • 0345 899 1000 • www.stsflooring.co.uk

DMS • www.dmstrade.co.uk

Trade Choice • www.tradechoice.com

RBV • 01274 67001

Kellars • 0161 443 0970 • www.kellarsflooring.co.uk

Likewise • www.likewiseplc.com

Everyroom (headlam) • www.every-room.co.uk

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