Home and Garden Awards 2020

BUILD 2020 Home And Garden Awards 8 Jan20218 l-Murad is Britain’s largest independent ceramic tile and natural stone importer and retailer, with more than 40 stores and 30 family-run franchises throughout the UK. Established in 1985 in the small town of Batley, by Mr Murad, the company has spent the last 30 years happily supplying the area (and further afield) and still has its head offices in Yorkshire to this day. The firm’s extensive product range and competitive prices means it can cater to a wide-range of clients, ranging from tradesmen to entrepreneurs to footballers! National Manager, Joy Walton, tells us more about the firm’s relationship with customers, how it strives to continually be the best and how it achieves this by differentiating itself from the competition. “Al Murad cannot be beaten on price and we cannot be beaten on the fact we house the largest range of products in the industry,” he begins. “For example, our new Leeds showroom and distribution depot consists of an area of 120,000 square foot, and the warehouse has a wide selection of more than 10 million tiles! The firm also has A the ability to ‘buy big’, directly from the manufacturers, thus passing on the savings it makes to customers. “We have a strong ethos of community and we enshrine this quality across many of our projects, we achieve this by ensuring many of our client’s trusts us to provide the solutions to their project needs. Simply put, our clients know that through the relationship they have built with us, we are the best option for them.” Joy continues to talk about the extensive range of products on offer and particular trends for certain items she has noticed emerging recently. “At Al-Murad, tiles are imported from all over the world on a regular basis, including Spain, Turkey and Italy. The extensive range consists of travertine, granite, marble, limestone, glass, porcelain, mosaic, slate and manmade stone, with under floor heating, as well as all the top branded adhesives and tile accessories, all under one roof. “We’ve seen a growing trend in outside oriental influences in the style and designs that our customers are looking for,” she begins. “From traditional Moroccan designs to classical Victorian styles, we at Al-Murad continue to ensure that our customers are able to choose from the latest designs and trends from around the world.” With regards to the future, Joy sees Al-Murad experiencing continued growth and embracing technological advancements. “We have the vision to expand our number of stores to 100 and to continue serving the nation as one of the biggest independent retailers in the UK. We aim to achieve this by growing sustainably and building strong relationships with suppliers to further expand our products and ranges. “The future of the Industry is all about Technology, and with Digitally Modified Tiles in the near future, which would act as our every other gadget, these tiles would have integrated screens showing holographic visuals could act as your mobile phones, laptops, and televisions too. Also, the future could see real concept homes with a user-control interface that would work through the tiles. “No matter what the situations will be in the coming times, Al Murad will play a role in providing an edge to the floor and tiles industry.” Contact Details Company: Al Murad D.I.Y Ltd. Web Address: www.al-murad.co.uk Best Independent Tile Retailer – UK As a company proud of its Yorkshire roots, Al-Murad Tiles recently won the coveted title of Best Independent Tile Retailer in the UK. We speak to Ms Joy Walton about the firm and how it has achieved continued success spanning more than three decades. Mr Murad and Prince Charles