Importing tiles

[BIMP]

Hi there,
Looking into setting up my own tile/bathroom showroom. Long way off yet but does anyone know of any suppliers in spain/italy/china etc. company names, websites, etc. any help appreciated.

[Max_Damage]

spain/italy/china/UK ?

[BIMP]

ya UK also, wat i'm essentially trying to do is to cut out the middle man and purchase tiles direct from manufacturers themselves. looking for names/links for quarries, etc

[Nardini]

ya UK also, wat i'm essentially trying to do is to cut out the middle man and purchase tiles direct from manufacturers themselves. looking for names/links for quarries, etc

There are hundreds of manufacturers/quarries here in Italy alone, so it is not really going to be a simple task. You would be better spending time with Google, searching for key words in the relevant languages. Then, spend time in the area visiting the tile manufacturers. Or, just take yourself off to some exhibitions where tile manufacturers might be exhibiting. I'm sure you will be able to find them quite easily - and extend your knowledge of the industry at the same time. I doubt you will find anyone that will be interested in dealing with less than pallet quantities though, so it's not going to be a way to get cheap tiles for your bathroom!

[Dave]

You can actually get directories of suppliers...but Google is your friend...

[BIMP]

Thanks for that, no not looking for tile just for bathroom, will hopefully be setting up warehouse, etc, thanks again

[timeless john]

Exhibitions are a good source - Buildex/Tilex etc
Usually held in Birmingham or London.
If you get the Tiling magazines etc they usually advertise well in advance.
We brought in pallet deals on tiles 25 years ago - plain and pattern tiles - does anyone want boxes of single mottif decors!

[Dave]

A few contacts will be sourced in Tile uk.

Tile UK 120

[dagger]

Exhibitions are a good source - Buildex/Tilex etc
Usually held in Birmingham or London.
If you get the Tiling magazines etc they usually advertise well in advance.
We brought in pallet deals on tiles 25 years ago - plain and pattern tiles - does anyone want boxes of single mottif decors!

i might swap you for a kiln and about 200,000 transfers...all types...

grapes, country kitchens, ropes....bake em on...

[timeless john]

Dagger -
I've got a box of 1977 calender tiles! - that's the year 1977.
Keep your kiln - I've just priced a job up for my son to do and the customer wants 12no. decors and a 6 tile panel of tiles dotted around his 5sq mts of kitchen splashbacks - and yes they are fruit tranfers!
They say fashion comes around again - so I'am just waiting for flares and kipper ties and I'am all sorted!

[dagger]

Dagger -
I've got a box of 1977 calender tiles! - that's the year 1977.
Keep your kiln - I've just priced a job up for my son to do and the customer wants 12no. decors and a 6 tile panel of tiles dotted around his 5sq mts of kitchen splashbacks - and yes they are fruit tranfers!
They say fashion comes around again - so I'am just waiting for flares and kipper ties and I'am all sorted!

Priceless......

[365drills]

Are you doing accessories for tiles as well?

We supply the trade with retail solutions for diamond drilling holes into tiles. We carry a full range of drill bits, crowns and holesaws.



We can install this board filled with over £800 worth of stock for a great price.
Our distributor are sending guys into tile shops with an offer of sale or return with a 3 month trial period.

[timeless john]

365 - That's a good offer!
Confidence in your product and no risk for the customer.
I can vouch for how good the set is I won - did I mention it before - JOTM September!
I'am sure when this lad sets up his showroom he'll need one of your stands.

[wetdec]

Hi there,
Looking into setting up my own tile/bathroom showroom. Long way off yet but does anyone know of any suppliers in spain/italy/china etc. company names, websites, etc. any help appreciated.

Hi

Take a tip check out the uk options first there are 2 or 3 companies out there that will give you excellent pallet rates cutting out the need to buy cans. It is a misconception that buying direct is the best way " It is not" unless that is you have an unlimeted amount of money and a distribution network to feed off you imports. Do not make the mistake of thinking you can pay 4.99 a m2 for tiles and sell them for £20 and make money, it may work for the first 50m2 but to get 4.99 you will need to be buying a can not a pallet.............

You need to do a little more research on this imo m8 ........

[Colour Republic]

I would agree with everything that wetness said. My cousin (based in Italy) is a big player in the shipping industry (Grimaldi), when I was over there last I mentioned a large tiling job that I had and he got straight on the phone and told a distributor to give me whatever I wanted, be it 1 tile or 1000 pallets (Sicilians have a way with words especially when it comes to family) and best of all I would get shipping at cost. I thought about this for a long time, I was given an in-road in to the industry and on better terms than most UK distributors could ever hope for, I knew that I would be taking a favour and if I was going to do it then I had to do it big and I could never make the figures stack up even on such great terms, you need the sale avenues before you can import not the other way round, otherwise you are tying your money up in stock that may never sell. I do know of one small time importer that does make good money but he buys cheap and sells cheap and the quality isn't that good, he imports stone (namely mosaic) and sells it over the internet to Joe public where people are lured by the price and wouldn't know a good quality tile from bad.

If you want to get into sales then I would suggest looking at a UK distributor and then when you are ready look at importing