New Zealand’s Fastest Growing Flooring Retailer

‘New Zealand’s Fastest Growing Flooring Retailer’

Flooring Xtra, is the new face of retail flooring in New Zealand and has grown to 40 stores within 100 days of launching, with a gross revenue in excess of $100million.

With only 5 stores initially Flooring Xtra commenced trading on the 1st of July 2008.

All stores were previously independent under the Carpet Court group. This number grew rapidly to 40 stores with a total of 18 leaving the Carpet Court group, 10 from the Composite group (known as Flooring First) and 12 independent stores.

The new Co-Operative group is run under the direction of Chairman Henry Van Dyk with fellow directors Don Barry, Rex (Butch) Goodwin, Paul Rillstone, and Andrew White. All of whom have been previously involved with Carpet Court at either a Management, Advisory Council or Board level.

According to Van Dyk ‘The changes in the previous model we traded under was no longer financially acceptable for several stores, an alternative had to be found, which resulted in the creation of Flooring Xtra. The values that Flooring Xtra stand for is not just about profit, it is about the environment and social responsibility, we call it the Triple Bottom Line. We have a nationwide tree planting programme in conjunction with Forest and Bird New Zealand. We no longer dump carpet like most other stores, we have setup recycling agreements with local councils who happily recycle the carpet. We are working with manufactures to understand the processes and see how we can help to make them more environmentally sustainable.’

National coverage has been achieved Van Dyk comments ‘our main aim, which we have achieved so far, was to create a group of high quality retailers, all of which are owner operated. We anticipate a further 8 – 10 retailers will join the Flooring Xtra brand before Christmas’ Flooring Xtra has reached agreements with all core suppliers after three months trading.

‘The response that we have had from suppliers has been overwhelming, the board/owners of all major suppliers have met with us and have congratulated us on the changes we’ve made to the industry’ advises Van Dyk.

The group’s logo ‘local roots mean more’ is clearly evident by the way the group has been formed and so far is clearly seen in the way they do business. ‘We realise the importance of being local’ says Van Dyk

In just 100 days Flooring Xtra has become New Zealand’s fastest growing flooring brand with plans on further stores joining shortly. Van Dyk commented ‘it was our aim to be the best quality retail chain in New Zealand not the largest but such has been the response to the vision for our brand this may well happen.’

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