Nicholls & Clarke

What Nicholls & Clarke does

Nicholls & Clarke (N&C) is a privately held UK building-materials manufacturer and distributor founded in 1875 in London and headquartered in Romford. The company operates a national network of 17 branches and showrooms across the UK and describes itself as the largest privately owned national manufacturer and distributor of fine quality building products. Its catalog spans over 60,000 SKUs covering wall and floor tiles (porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaic, glass, quartz), bathrooms and sanitaryware, wet rooms, flooring, ironmongery, decorating, tools and fixings, and heating/electrical products. The company holds exclusive UK distribution rights for GulfStone Quartz and operates the Nicobond manufacturing line (tile adhesives, grouts, matting, epoxy resins, sealants and related installation products) out of its own factory. Sub-brands — N&C Nicobond, N&C Phlexicare (independent living and accessibility solutions), N&C Glass, N&C Moderna, N&C Tiles and Bathrooms, and N&C Building Materials — segment the offering across trade, retail, and accessibility end-markets.

The business runs a trade-account-led go-to-market model: registered Trade Credit and Trade Cash Accounts receive trade-only rates, free nationwide delivery, 24/7 online ordering, quarterly discounts, trade-only events and seminars, and dedicated technical support. Distribution combines 17 physical branches, a 24/7 e-commerce platform, Click & Collect, National Collection Points, and free nationwide delivery. Direct retail activity is concentrated under N&C Tiles and Bathrooms. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investment and operates two legal entities — Nicholls & Clarke Limited (England No: 66664) and N&C Building Products Limited (England No: 140) — under a wholly-owned subsidiary structure. There are no disclosed financial figures, recent M&A, funding activity, or leadership changes in the source material, indicating a self-funded, operationally mature private business.

Revenue mechanics are dominated by one-time product sales of building materials rather than recurring subscriptions; pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Customer segmentation is horizontal across trade professionals (primary), retailers, and commercial partners, with UK as the core market plus international activity. No revenue, ARR, or per-segment split is disclosed, limiting valuation triangulation. The company uses standard e-commerce and marketing technology (ASP.NET site, Google Analytics, Mailchimp) and shows no disclosed AI/ML capabilities.

Name

Nicholls & Clarke

Legal name

Nicholls & Clarke Limited

Website

https://nichollsandclarke.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1875

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Nicholls & Clarke is a privately held UK building-materials manufacturer and distributor, founded 1875, operating 17 branches and a 60,000+ SKU e-commerce platform serving trade professionals, retailers, and commercial partners across the UK.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Building Materials Distribution

NAICS

Lumber and Other Construction Materials Merchant Wholesalers (4233), Other Construction Material Merchant Wholesalers (42339)

SIC

Wholesale-Lumber & Other Construction Materials (5030), Wholesale-Hardware & Plumbing & Heating Equipment & Supplies (5070)

akta.pro primary industry

Fasteners, Adhesives & Sealants Retail (Nails, Screws, Glues, Caulks) (CRAIAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Adhesives, Sealants, Caulks & Tapes Retail (CRAIADAL)

Keywords

• Building materials supply
• Wall and floor tiles
• Bathroom sanitaryware
• Trade building products
• Construction materials distribution

Headquarters

HQ city

Romford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices17 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Building Materials Product Sales: Direct sales of building materials including wall and floor tiles, tiling solutions, bathroom products, ironmongery, and decorating supplies through trade accounts and retail channels

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Nicholls & Clarke is a UK-based building materials manufacturer and distributor founded in 1875, supplying more than 60,000 products through 17 nationwide branches. The company manufactures, sources and distributes wall and floor tiles, bathrooms and sanitaryware, wet rooms, flooring, ironmongery, decorating supplies, tools and fixings, heating and electrical products, and operates as the exclusive UK distributor of GulfStone Quartz. The offering is delivered across multiple branded sub-divisions including N&C Nicobond (tiling systems), N&C Phlexicare (independent-living solutions), N&C Glass, N&C Moderna, and N&C Tiles and Bathrooms (retail).

Product overview

Nicholls & Clarke (N&C) operates as a multi-brand building materials manufacturer, distributor and supplier with a comprehensive product portfolio. The core offering centers on wall and floor tiles (porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaic, glass, and quartz), supported by the N&C Nicobond tiling solutions sub-brand providing adhesives, grouts, tools and accessories. The company serves trade professionals and retailers through sub-brands including N&C Phlexicare (independent living/accessibility solutions), N&C Glass (glazing), N&C Moderna, N&C Tiles and Bathrooms (retail), and N&C Building Materials. Additional categories include bathrooms/sanitaryware, wet rooms, flooring, ironmongery, decorating, tools and fixings, and heating/electrical products. N&C holds exclusive UK distribution rights for GulfStone Quartz. The company supplies over 60,000 products nationally with nationwide delivery, click and collect, and national collection points.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• N&C Nicobond: Tiling solutions brand offering tile adhesive, grouts, tile trims and profiles, tiling tools, undertile heating, wet room tanking, and related installation products.
• N&C Phlexicare
• N&C Glass
• N&C Moderna
• N&C Tiles and Bathrooms

Products and services

• Wall and Floor Tiles Range of porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaic, glass and quartz wall and floor tiles supplied to trade contractors and retail customers for construction and refurbishment projects.
• Bathrooms and Sanitaryware Complete bathroom suites and sanitaryware supplied to trade and retail customers for residential and commercial bathroom installations.
• Wet Rooms Wet room systems and components supplied to trade and retail customers for accessible and contemporary bathroom installations.
• Flooring Flooring products distributed to trade and retail customers for residential and commercial floor installations.
• Ironmongery Ironmongery products supplied to trade and retail customers for door, window and general building hardware requirements.
• Decorating Supplies Decorating products and supplies distributed to trade and retail customers for interior and exterior finishing work.
• Tools and Fixings Tools and fixing products supplied to trade and retail customers for construction, installation and refurbishment work.
• Heating and Electrical Heating and electrical products distributed to trade and retail customers for residential and commercial building installations.
• N&C Nicobond Tiling Systems Sub-brand offering tile adhesives, grouts, levellers and associated tiling preparation products for trade tilers and contractors.
• N&C Phlexicare Independent Living Solutions Sub-brand offering accessibility and independent-living bathroom and washroom solutions for residential, healthcare and commercial settings.
• N&C Glass and Glazing Sub-brand offering glass and glazing products for trade customers in construction and refurbishment projects.
• N&C Moderna Building Products Sub-brand offering N&C Moderna branded building products distributed to trade customers.
• N&C Tiles and Bathrooms (Retail Showrooms) Retail sub-brand operating showroom-based sales of tiles and bathrooms to consumer and small-project buyers via dedicated retail counters and showrooms.
• GulfStone Quartz (Exclusive UK Distribution) Exclusive UK distribution of GulfStone Quartz products, supplied through Nicholls & Clarke's nationwide branch network to trade and retail customers.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Montolit ToolsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partner offering professional tiling tools available through N&C distribution network
• Genesis Trims and ProfilesminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partner offering tile trims and profiles available through N&C distribution network
• Rubi ToolsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partner offering professional tiling tools available through N&C distribution network
• Warmup Undertile HeatingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBrand partner offering undertile heating solutions available through N&C distribution network
• GulfStone QuartzcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive UK distributor of GulfStone Quartz - graded quartz compressed and blended with resin for a luxurious finish, regarded as best quality quartz internationally

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Travis Perkins: UK's largest builders' merchant operating a national network of branches supplying building materials, timber, and tools to trade professionals. Directly comparable to N&C in trade-focused distribution of construction materials, though far larger in scale and breadth.
• Topps Tiles: UK's largest specialist tile retailer with a national store network and trade-account program. Directly competes with N&C Tiles and Bathrooms in wall and floor tile categories serving both trade and retail customers.
• SIG plc: UK-listed specialist distributor of building products including roofing, insulation, and interior finishing products. Comparable as a B2B trade-focused distributor supplying construction and fit-out materials through a national branch network.
• Tile Giant: UK specialist tile retailer with a national network of showrooms targeting both retail and trade customers. Directly comparable to N&C Tiles and Bathrooms in tile-focused assortment and trade account model.
• CTD Tiles: UK tile specialist retailer with branches nationwide and a trade account offering. Directly comparable to N&C in wall and floor tile assortment, trade pricing, and showroom-led distribution.
• Brickability: UK distributor of bricks, roof tiles, and building products serving housebuilders and contractors. Comparable as a national B2B building materials distributor with a branch-based model, though focused more on masonry envelope products than tile and bathroom interiors.

Broad incumbents

• Saint-Gobain UK: Global building materials manufacturer and distributor with extensive UK operations including tiles, plasterboard, insulation, and distribution brands. Overlaps with N&C in tile distribution and broader building materials, but operates as a much larger diversified incumbent.
• Grafton Group: UK and Irish builders' merchanting group operating Selco, Buildbase, and Woodie's. Comparable as a multi-branch trade-focused building materials distributor serving professional contractors, though larger and more diversified than N&C.
• Wienerberger UK: Austrian-headquartered manufacturer of bricks, blocks, and wall solutions with UK operations. Adjacent incumbent supplying core wall and masonry materials to the same UK construction trade customer base as N&C.

Emerging players

• Tile Mountain: UK online-led tile retailer with warehouse distribution and growing trade offering. Comparable to N&C in tile assortment and trade focus, but differentiated by a digital-first go-to-market model rather than a 17-branch physical network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NCGroupLtd
• Facebookfacebook.com/NCGroupLtd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nicholls & Clarke