Tilemax
Tilemax is a 100% Kiwi-owned tile retailer operating 14 showrooms and an e-commerce platform across New Zealand, selling floor, wall, bathroom, kitchen, outdoor tiles, bathware, and installation products to residential homeowners, trade professionals, and commercial projects.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersLower Hutt, New Zealand
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Tilemax does
Tilemax is a privately held, 100% Kiwi-owned tile and flooring retailer headquartered in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, operating 14 physical showrooms across both the North and South Islands, supported by two distribution warehouses in the Wellington region (Petone and Thorndon) and a full e-commerce platform at tilemax.co.nz. The company's core product offering spans floor, wall, bathroom, kitchen, outdoor, and commercial tile categories, with styles covering porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaics, marble-look, terrazzo-look, travertine-look, slate-look, and timber-look tiles, alongside complementary bathware (showers, vanities, tapware, toilets) and installation products (adhesives, grouts, waterproofing, heating systems, deck pedestals). Products are primarily sourced from European manufacturers in Italy and Spain, with additional global sourcing. The company runs a Tile Visualiser online tool for room design and offers a $3.90 sample service with next-day delivery to North Island main centres.
Tilemax serves three primary customer segments: residential homeowners undertaking renovations or new builds (primary), trade professionals including tilers, builders, and contractors (primary), and commercial/architectural projects such as hotels, fit-outs, and developments (secondary). The Trade Partnership Program provides dedicated trade pricing, technical resources, and specification support to professional installers. Named showcase customers include Barrett Homes and Pryde Design Interiors & Alpine Projects, used as case studies for residential and high-end new-build projects rather than as volume revenue anchors.
The business model is transaction-driven retail with one-time purchase pricing, pay-as-you-go billing, and freight passed through to the customer at checkout based on volume and weight. Revenue is generated through unit-priced sales across the tile, bathware, and installation product portfolios, supplemented by sample sales and trade channel volume. Marketing is executed through organic social media (Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest), content marketing via an inspiration and ideas library, email marketing through Mailchimp, and the Tile Visualiser tool, with industry credibility reinforced through NZ Tile Council and TANZ membership. The company was founded around 2012, remains in private ownership with no external funding or institutional backing, and operates with a workforce of 11-50 employees.
Tilemax firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Tilemax
- Legal name
- Tilemax Limited
- Website
- https://tilemax.co.nz
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Tilemax is a 100% Kiwi-owned tile retailer operating 14 showrooms and an e-commerce platform across New Zealand, selling floor, wall, bathroom, kitchen, outdoor tiles, bathware, and installation products to residential homeowners, trade professionals, and commercial projects.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Tilemax industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Tile Retail
- NAICS
- Floor Covering Retailers (449121)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Tile & Stone Specialty Retail (CRAIAGAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Flooring Tools, Adhesives, Grout & Installation Supplies Retail (CRAIAGAJ), Laminate Flooring Retail (CRAIAGAC)
Keywords
Where Tilemax is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Lower Hutt
- HQ country
- New Zealand
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices14 records
Markets served
Tilemax business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Tile and building material sales: Tilemax generates revenue through the sale of tiles (porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaics), bathware products, installation products (adhesives, grouts, waterproofing), and related accessories. The business operates on a one-time purchase model with samples available for $3.90 each.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Tile samples |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Various tile products |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
Tilemax product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Tilemax is a New Zealand tile retailer that sells floor, wall, bathroom, kitchen, outdoor, and pool tiles (porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaics) along with bathware products and tile installation accessories through a network of 14 nationwide showrooms and an online store. The business complements its product range with a Tile Visualiser design tool, a tile sample service, and a trade partnership program for professional tilers and builders.
Product overview
Tilemax is a New Zealand tile retailer offering an extensive portfolio of tile and flooring products through 13 showrooms nationwide and an online store. The core offering centers on floor and wall tiles across multiple styles (marble, terrazzo, travertine, slate, timber looks) and formats (porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaics). Key product lines include MosaicFX (premium mosaics in finger, penny, hexagon patterns), the Spanish-made Wadi Range (textured porcelain for walls/floors/pools), Italian Artica Range (gres porcelain stoneware), and 20mm Endura porcelain pavers for outdoor/deck applications. The company also offers bathware products (showers, vanities, tapware), installation products (adhesives, grouts, heating systems), and digital services including a Tile Visualiser tool for room design. Trade services and partnership programs support builders and design professionals. Products are primarily manufactured in Europe (Spain, Italy) with additional sourcing from Turkey and globally.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Floor Tiles
- Wall Tiles
- Bathroom Tiles
- Kitchen Tiles
- Outdoor Tiles
- Laminate Flooring
- Porcelain Pavers
- Bathware
- Installation Products
- Tile Visualiser
- Tile Samples Service
- Trade Partnership Program
- MosaicFX Collection
- In-Out Microtech Tiles
- Wadi Range
- Toledo Range
- Artica Range
- Norcia In-Out Range
- Kashgar Range
- Fusion Magma Range
Companies that use Tilemax
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Tilemax technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Tilemax partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- NZ Tile CouncilminorIndustry association partnership. Tilemax is listed as a proud partner of the NZ Tile Council on their website footer.
- TANZ (Tiles Alliance of New Zealand)minorIndustry alliance membership. Tilemax is listed as a proud partner of TANZ on their website footer.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Tilemax competitors and assessment
Company assessmentRegional players
- Tile Warehouse: NZ-based tile retailer with showrooms offering a curated range of imported tiles and bathware. Directly comparable as a domestic tile specialist competing for similar homeowners and trade customers.
- Tile Direct: NZ tile retailer offering imports and clearance stock direct to consumers. Comparable as a regional competitor competing on selection and price within the same NZ market as Tilemax.
Broad incumbents
- PlaceMakers: NZ's largest building materials merchant, part of Fletcher Building, selling tiles alongside broader building supplies. Comparable as a domestic NZ channel for tiles with strong trade relationships, though offers tiles as part of a broader portfolio.
- Bunnings Warehouse: Australia/NZ big-box hardware chain with tile and flooring departments. Competes with Tilemax for DIY and trade tile purchases with scale advantages in supply chain and breadth of assortment.
- Mitre 10: NZ co-operative hardware retailer with nationwide stores stocking tiles, bathware, and installation supplies. Comparable as a competing NZ distribution channel with broad home-improvement assortment that includes tile and flooring categories.
Emerging players
- Tile Cloud: Online tile retailer serving the Australian and broader Australasian market with a curated catalogue and sample service. Comparable to Tilemax's sample delivery ($3.90), online ordering, and direct-to-consumer fulfilment model.
- Top3 Tiles: Online-first tile and stone retailer specialising in premium imported product with a digital visualiser tool. Comparable to Tilemax's digital merchandising and European product sourcing strategy.
Direct peers
- Beaumont Tiles: Australia's largest tile and bathroomware retailer with a national showroom network and online store. Most directly comparable to Tilemax's specialist tile retail model with showroom-and-ecommerce omni-channel distribution.
- National Tiles: Australian specialist tile retailer with showrooms and an extensive trade program. Closely mirrors Tilemax's combined residential and trade focus and curated European-style product offering.
- Amber Tiles: Another Australian tile and bathroomware specialist retailer with both physical showrooms and online presence. Comparable as a mid-sized tile and bathware omni-channel retailer targeting homeowners and trade.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Tilemax social profiles
Digital presenceTilemax financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Tilemax leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Tilemax funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Tilemax M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Tilemax
What does Tilemax do?
Tilemax is a New Zealand tile retailer that sells floor, wall, bathroom, kitchen, outdoor, and pool tiles (porcelain, ceramic, natural stone, mosaics) along with bathware products and tile installation accessories through a network of 14 nationwide showrooms and an online store. The business complements its product range with a Tile Visualiser design tool, a tile sample service, and a trade partnership program for professional tilers and builders.
Is Tilemax a public or private company?
Tilemax is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Tilemax founded?
Tilemax was founded in 2012. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Tilemax based?
Tilemax is headquartered in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, in the Oceania region.
How does Tilemax make money?
One revenue line is on record: tile and building material sales.
Who are Tilemax's main competitors?
Regional players on record are Tile Warehouse and Tile Direct. Broad incumbents are PlaceMakers, Bunnings Warehouse and Mitre 10. Emerging players are Tile Cloud and Top3 Tiles. Direct peers are Beaumont Tiles, National Tiles and Amber Tiles.
Does Tilemax have an API?
No public API is recorded for Tilemax.
What industry is Tilemax in?
Tilemax's product category is Tile Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAIAGAA, Tile & Stone Specialty Retail, with a secondary code of CRAIAGAJ, Flooring Tools, Adhesives, Grout & Installation Supplies Retail. Its NAICS code is 449121.