what are topps tiles up too???

[poynton phil]

The last 3 times, i'v had customers found the tiles they liked in topps tiles, i told them to get a price, and i'll get you a discount. How wrong was I, the prices given to me were actually higher than what my customers were given. Really gives you motivation to use topps tiles, NOT.

 

[mikethetile]

sounds like topps are in trouble

 

[Perry]

sounds like topps are in trouble

i think the way money is at the moment people are starting to be a bit more careful and realizing they may be getting ripped of by some of the big guys yes i can see them being in trouble if they have to charge normal prices

 

[Scott]

I know a lot more pressure and sales targets have been put on managers and assistant managers to perform. Maybe its just a case of them being put on performance related pay with bonuses for sales targets that maybe were in place when everthing was rosy a few years ago.

 

[turnip]

used topps for some lovely lemon marble just before xmas, cheaper than same product from TG, tried to pressurise me into buying fila sealer,(a bit like the tea lady from Father Ted) despite mentioning that I only use stainstop

 

[tfs]

Had similar problems. If I havent been in a for a while or even a month or so they put my trade account onto full retail. They sort it out for me but I want peace of mind from a retailer/ supplier. I need to know that I will always get a trade disount or I will shop elsewhere. Tile Giant and other stores dont pull stunts like this and I think customers will start to use other tile suppliers when they experience this from Topps.

In my opinion Topps have a good range (tiles, tools and addys etc)but, this strategy will deter tilers if there are other tile shops local to them. Im not the expert but, I reckon this will do them more harm than good.

 

[Dan]

I think their share prices are worth quite a bit. I can see why now.

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Bought a sample tile off them once:lol:

I've always had the impression they ARE retail.
But if I bought as much off them as I do my main supplier I'd expect a good discount.
There are so many tile warehouses now they should be fighting for your business - not overcharging.

 

[andy8758]

There appears to be an interesting dynamic between Topps Tiles and Tile Giant. I gather there may be some disgruntlement on behalf of former Topps employees who now work for Tile Giant - in my region, every Tile Giant shop has a Topps Tiles shop next door! Interestingly enough, whatever you can buy at Topps is often available cheaper, but not any lesser quality albeit slightly different manufacture/spec, at Tile Giant. Furthermore, becuase the Tile Giant employees are invariably former Topps employees, you often find the staff of both shops enjoying a coffee, ciggie and chin wag together!

Which brings us to pricing - the attitude of Topps shops changes from store to store. At Hengrove in Bristol you will get an excellent price for Hardibacker (250s sheets for a tenner) and they do their best to price match other tile retailers addy/grout prices. At Frome - 15 miles away, with no Tile Giant next door, the traders get ripped off something rotten with little or no discounts. So it does appear to be a bit of a lottery.

But my best service award goes to Sharon at Tile Giant in Swindon. She bent over backwards to help me sort out a tile order I had botched up last November! All sorted in under an hour, and full trade discount.

 

[cornish_crofter]

The topps tiles pricing fiasco could be down to a kind of 'hook em and shaft em' attitude.

I have been in there on the odd occasion and have been told in no uncertain terms that I should see what they can do in terms of beating prices from other suppliers. But I get the feeling that once you go there regularly they then treat you as a cash cow.

That would explain why the OPs customer would get a keen price, then he would get the usual as he already shops from there.

I have this problem with a builder's merchant that I have an account with. Once I went in there and was quoted more than the cash price! It started to become a bad joke when my customers who had only just started spending with them were getting better prices than I was. The local branch were trying to shaft me whilst a branch 15 miles away would be very competitive. It even got to the point where one staff member wouldn't give any discount whatsoever whilst her manager would do what he could.