Topps Tiles -Love it or hate it?

[TilersTilingTiles]

Recently priced a job in a loft conversion. One bathroom and one ensuit shower room About 50m2 total with porceline floor tiles and ceramic wall tiles. The client asked me to provide a labour only quote and a seperate quote detailing the materials needed and how much I could supply it all for. Apparently topps tiles is doing a discount on materials if you buy your tiles through them too. Anyway it turned out that I could get the materials for just under half of what topps quoted even with the discount.

Topps tiles used to be our main supplier when i was an apprentice and when they used to have their own brands of adhesive were very reasonably priced.

Now some of my clients are paying £50 a bag for Bal rapid set flexi. How do they justify that!

Topps Tiles -Love it or hate it? for more...

Tile Forums @ tilerstilingtiles.co.uk

 

[DHTiling]

Well dave if thats right thats great,but i sat at the desk at swedecor a couple of days ago and said what i get from topps and all i get at CTD (swedecor is 30%) which has been put up from 20% and thats as good as it gets for NOW,which is no where near topps price to me,they`ve got WP1 kit on offer at the moment and its still more than topps price to me,i even brought this situation up with an ex member and even he was shocked i get it cheaper at topps,but as i say if your right then thats great i`ll go in and have a word.

If CTD want your business and you can show them an actual like for like price then i was told they will price match.....but if you already get a good deal from topps then no worries.....but they can't sell BAL for the price that CTD sell mapei for, and Mapei have some great adhesives...

 

[BDS]

Yeah your right dave mapei are great i have all mapei`s product literature etc etc etc ,cos i used to use them before BAL,infact topps dropped me in the doo doo a few months ago regarding not getting me 11 bags of multibase when i ordered it so thought F/U and went to another store and used mapei`s slc (never used this slc before) and it was awsome stuff,and as i`ve said in other posts if i didn`t use BAL,mapei would be my next choice again,infact just opened another trade acount with another tile shop,and they stock mapei and have given me a really really good price on any mapei products they stock or will get me any they dont.If swedecor (CTD) WOULD price match that would be great for me cos for me to get to swedecor is approx 15min journey (no traffic),from them to topps is an extra 20min journey thro town traffic which when its busy is more and a nightmare,and i even told said contact at swedecor of how much i`m spending on materials on an average job (i only do domestic ie;kitchens/bathrooms/showers etc etc etc)and then what my customer spends as well,and i said i`d even take all my reciepts to prove the price i`m paying,but still he said 30% but did say they`d take a look once i`ve used them more but for that period of time i`d loose quite a bit of money,which me being a tight sod is not good,,,lol:santa_cheesy:

 

[cornish_crofter]

I wish that CDT in Plymouth would:

1) Stock a wider range of kit
2) Open later

CTD and Topps are 20 miles away in Plymouth. Getting to either of them is a trek.

The Topps manager did give me the run around with prices once, but I got around this.

 

[tile55]

I notice on this thread there are no posters from the South (whats up with that).
Anyway I think that we are spoilt for choice down here as we have many different tile shops with-in a few miles of each other.
The Topps in West London are not too good with customer service, the materials are over priced and to get trade pricing they want you too jump through hoops. When you do get the trade price, you can still get a better deal if you go to another tile shop.
My main supplier is Eurotiles, followed by London tile company and Tile Depot.
With-in a 10 mile radius there are so many shops all competing with each other, large companies and independents, I have a local CTD, but only use them if I am on a job in that particular area and need something which I haven't brought with me to get the job done.
I get my SPF Mapei for £17.50 Supergrip I get for £8 I can get Profix for £12.40 and tubbed gear for £5 if I don't want to use the Supergrip.

All in all - you can't beat the south.....................:santa_cheesy:

 

[robbbin]

I use them all the time great guys and girls no one can touch them on price

 

[Perry]

robbbin (no swearing) lol :devil:

 

[DERBER]

Stopped using my local Topps cos it really ( no swearing) me off when they give you the 'so called' retail price, then the trade price....... for goodness sake who would pay £44 retail for a bag of Palace (now known as Topfix rapid flex).......:rant:

 

[macten]

I like my local Topps (no CTD round here to compare though).
Opened an account instantly, given my trade card there and then.
They seem very clued up and they will price match everything they sell in store - to beat any trade prices I can get elsewhere. So Topps is cheapest for me.

 

[DaveCSC]

To be honest the first impressions I had of our local store was that it was poor. I have since popped in a few times and spoken to the manager about what they offer trades people and was very impressed with their prices. They will beat any price by 5%. Before the Christmas break I gave them a list of products and prices that I wanted them to beat and I will be collecting this next week, so I will let you know what they are offering.
Dave

 

[vince1]

i love my tops tiles in stockton. really nice people and they help you so much. i love there prices to with work slowing down you have to watch them pennies. by the way happy new year everyone

vince

web www.knightstiling.co.uk

 

[mart08]

Went in my local store for a chat yesterday as had a couple of hours to spare and landed up doing a display for them. A few cups of tea and biscuits and job was done. Was good for me as customers came in and saw me doing the display and the staff told them i was one of their TAFs so they took my cards. Happy days.:yes:

 

[tiler1975]

my local topps are blinding ...they cant do enough for me.....they even make me a coffee when i walk through the door.....

 

[DHTiling]

Thats nice......rrr:.........say hello in the new members forum.....unk:

 

[shaun b]

every topps tiles ive ever been in is crap the prices are well over the top the service is poor and the topps in st albans has the rudest staff ive ever experienced in any shop full stop!! decor tiles in watford is by far the best for service and price! boycot topps they are so so so bad

 

[robbbin]

Ive stated b4 you can't beat addy prices at tops and trims went in today to my local,,,,,,,,,, they very depressed because of recession they have cut staff by 30% throughout uk