Chester's Plumbing & Bathroom Centre Limited

What Chester's Plumbing & Bathroom Centre Limited does

Chester's Plumbing & Bathroom Centre Limited is a privately held, New Zealand owned and operated specialist retailer of plumbing, bathroom, heating, kitchen, and laundry products. The company sells a broad assortment across nine product categories — Bathroom, Heating, Hot Water Systems, Kitchen, Laundry, Pipe and Fittings, Pumps and Filters, Spare Parts, and Valves — distributing international and local brands such as Hansgrohe, Villeroy & Boch, Caroma, Methven, Rinnai, and Rheem. The business operates through two primary customer channels: a dedicated Trade Account program for plumbers, gasfitters, and builders, and a consumer-facing retail channel for homeowners and renovators.

The company runs an omnichannel model combining a national e-commerce storefront (chesters.co.nz), powered by the n2 ERP platform from First Software, with multiple physical showrooms across both the North and South Islands of New Zealand, including locations in Auckland, Hamilton, Wanganui, and Dunedin. Trade customers access differentiated services such as online ordering, invoice management, stock availability viewing, and integration with third-party job management software, with credit applications processed via CreditWorks. Consumers access product browsing, online purchasing, and in-person consultation and design services at showrooms.

Revenue is generated primarily through unit-priced hardware sales (toilet suites, basins, tapware, baths, showers, hot water systems, kitchen sinks, etc., with price points ranging from approximately NZD $16 to over $6,000) and through the trade account relationship, which provides recurring volume from professional installers. The company is privately held, reports no parent company, has no disclosed funding rounds or institutional investors, and operates with no public revenue disclosure.

Name

Chester's Plumbing & Bathroom Centre Limited

Legal name

Chesters Plumbing and Bathroom Centre Limited

Website

https://chesters.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Chester's Plumbing & Bathroom Centre Limited is a New Zealand owned specialist retailer selling plumbing, bathroom, heating, kitchen, and laundry products to trade professionals (plumbers, gasfitters, builders) and homeowners through a national e-commerce platform and physical showrooms across both islands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Plumbing and Bathroom Supplies Retail

NAICS

Building Material and Supplies Dealers (4441), Home Centers (444110)

SIC

Retail-Miscellaneous Shopping Goods Stores (5940)

akta.pro primary industry

Plumbing Fixtures & Faucets Showrooms (CRAIAFAC)

Keywords

• Plumbing supplies retail
• Bathroom fittings
• Bathroom renovation products
• Trade plumbing supplies
• Hot water systems

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Retail Product Sales: Sale of plumbing supplies, bathroom fittings, heaters, and accessories through both online store and physical showrooms. Products include basins, tapware, baths, showers, toilets, vanities, heating systems, hot water systems, kitchen and laundry products, spare parts, and valves.
2. Trade Account Services: Provides trade accounts for plumbers, gasfitters, and builders with features including online ordering, invoice management, stock availability, and integration with job management software.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Chester's Plumbing & Bathroom Centre Limited retails plumbing supplies, bathroom fittings, heating products, hot water systems, kitchen and laundry solutions to both trade professionals and retail consumers across New Zealand. The company distributes well-known brands including Hansgrohe, Villeroy & Boch, Caroma, Methven, Rinnai, and Rheem through physical showrooms and an e-commerce platform. Trade customers (plumbers, gasfitters, builders) receive a dedicated trade account program with online ordering, invoice management, and job management software integration.

Product overview

Chester's Plumbing & Bathroom Centre Limited operates a multi-channel retail platform offering plumbing supplies, bathroom fittings, and heating solutions primarily to trade professionals (plumbers, gasfitters, builders) and homeowners across New Zealand. The product portfolio is organized around nine core categories: Bathroom Products (the largest category spanning basins, tapware, toilets, showers, baths, mirrors, and vanities), Heating (electric fires, heaters, gas fires), Hot Water Systems (electric and heat pump units), Kitchen (sinks, tapware, boiling/chilled water, waste disposals), Laundry (cabinets, tubs), Pipe and Fittings, Pumps and Filters (filtration systems, UV systems), Spare Parts, and Valves. The company distributes well-known brands including Hansgrohe, Villeroy & Boch, Caroma, Methven, Rinnai, Rheem, Heirloom, St Michel, Athena, and Elementi. Trade customers receive dedicated account services including online ordering, invoice management, and job management software integration. The company serves customers through both e-commerce and physical showrooms across New Zealand.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bathroom Products Comprehensive bathroom solutions including basins, bathroom accessories, bathroom cabinets, bathroom heating, bathroom tapware, baths, bidets, mirrors, showers, toilet cisterns, toilet pans, toilet seats, toilet suites, and vanity units for homeowners renovating bathrooms and trade professionals installing bathroom products.
• Heating Products Home heating solutions including electric fires, electric heaters, and gas fires for residential living spaces in New Zealand homes.
• Hot Water Systems Water heating systems including electric hot water units and heat pump water heaters for residential and commercial applications.
• Kitchen Products Kitchen plumbing solutions including boiling/chilled water systems, kitchen sinks, kitchen tapware, and waste disposal units.
• Laundry Products Laundry room solutions including laundry cabinets, laundry storage, and laundry tubs for residential laundry installations.
• Pipe and Fittings Plumbing pipe and fitting materials including traps, wastes, and grates for various residential and commercial installation requirements.
• Pumps and Filters Water filtration and pumping solutions including filter cartridges, filter housings, filtration systems, UV filtration, and spare parts for residential and commercial water treatment.
• Spare Parts Replacement and spare components including commercial and care tapware, filter spare parts, shower door spares, slide rails/roses/hoses/hand pieces, tap and mixer spares, toilet spares, urinal spares, waste and trap spares, and waste disposal spares.
• Valves Valve products including solenoid valves and urinal valves for commercial and residential plumbing applications.
• Trade Account Services Dedicated trade account program offering online ordering, invoice management, stock availability viewing, personalized pricing, and integration with job management software for plumbers, gasfitters, and builders.
• Showroom Consultation In-person showroom experience with expert sales team providing advice and ideas for new homes or renovations, featuring personalized recommendations tailored to specific needs.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• n2 ERPcoreTechnology or Integrationn2 ERP powers the company's e-commerce platform and operational systems. The website is powered by n2 ERP from First Software (firstsoftware.co.nz), providing the e-commerce functionality, product catalog, and online ordering capabilities.
• First SoftwarecoreTechnology or IntegrationProvider of the n2 ERP system powering Chesters' e-commerce website and business operations.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Hansgrohe: Premium German manufacturer of showers and tapware, featured as a hero brand across Chesters' bathroom category. Industry supplier rather than retailer peer, but comparable in product/brand development at the premium end of the bathroom market.
• Caroma Industries: Australian bathroom products brand (toilets, tapware, basins, baths) carried by Chesters as a featured brand. Ecosystem participant — comparable supplier-side counterpart rather than a retailer competitor.
• Bathroom Brands (Ideal Standard, Armitage Shanks): UK-based manufacturer and distributor of bathroom brands (Ideal Standard, Armitage Shanks, Sottini, Trevi). Comparable as an industry counterpart in the bathroom supply value chain Chesters operates in; Chesters distributes competitor/premium brands like Villeroy & Boch and Hansgrohe.

Direct peers

• Reliance Plumbing & Bathrooms: New Zealand trade-focused plumbing and bathroom supplier with branch network and trade account programs. Direct trade-channel competitor to Chesters' trade account offering in the NZ market.
• Reece Limited: ASX-listed plumbing, bathroom, and HVAC supplies distributor operating across Australia and New Zealand with an extensive trade account and showroom network. Closest publicly observable comparable to Chesters in product mix, trade-customer focus, and category breadth (bathroom, plumbing, heating, irrigation).
• Plumbing World: New Zealand-based plumbing and bathroom supplies retailer with multiple showrooms and a trade account program. Directly competes with Chester's for the same plumbers, gasfitters, builders, and homeowners across NZ, with overlapping product categories including tapware, baths, toilets, hot water, and kitchen fittings.
• Tradelink: Plumbing supply specialist serving trade professionals across Australia and New Zealand with branches and trade accounts. Operates a comparable trade-relationship distribution model with similar product categories (bathroom, plumbing fittings, valves, hot water).
• Plumboy: Australian bathroom and plumbing retailer with physical showrooms and online ordering serving both trade and consumer customers. Direct comparable in showroom-led premium-brand bathroom retail model and target customer mix.

Broad incumbents

• Mitre 10 (Mitre 10 Mega): New Zealand home improvement co-operative of large-format stores selling plumbing, bathroom, and kitchen products alongside broader DIY categories. Overlaps Chesters' homeowner/renovator segment and trade customer base, but at significantly wider assortment and lower specialization.
• Bunnings Warehouse (Bunnings Trade): Australia- and New Zealand-based big-box home improvement retailer offering plumbing supplies, bathrooms, and trade services. Overlaps Chesters on both DIY homeowners and trade customers but competes primarily on convenience, scale, and price rather than premium-brand showrooms.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/chestersplumbingandbathroom
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/chesters-plumbing-bathroom-centre

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Chester's Plumbing & Bathroom Centre Limited