With decades of experience and 43 current locations across Australia, Floorworld members are naturally bound to their local communities. In addition to offering many of Australia’s leading flooring products, Floorworld commits to a generous School Sponsorship Program, and Pancare; a foundation devoted to supporting families, and funding cancer research.

All Floorworld stores are locally owned and operated by dedicated, passionate flooring experts, giving their customers access to the best range and the right advice at a competitive price point.  Floorworld members benefit from the group’s buying strength and business support. Many Floorworld stores are long-term family-owned and some on their third generation. Family businesses dominate lists of the longest lasting companies in the world and are a leading source of jobs and economic growth.

Floorworld celebrates its 32nd anniversary in 2023. It started simply when seven retailers in Melbourne thought it was a good idea to get together to buy stock and distribute it amongst themselves. Doug Trickey, Robert Levin, Greg Smith, Billy Tsapataris, Kevin McAuliffe, Angela Bridgeman, Gary Breen, Alan Nolan, and several other independent retailers established a buying group called Floorworld in 1989-90. Organically, other retailers joined, and from being predominately a Victorian and Tasmanian buying group, it is now a 43-strong retail group with stores in Western Australia, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales and the ACT.

Australia First

Floorworld’s products and services include Australia’s leading brands as well as their own exclusive ranges, and connect the desirable properties of user-comfort, durability and environmental sustainability. Partner brands include Airstep, Australian Select Timbers, Beaulieu, Clever Choice, Clix, Dunlop Flooring, Feltex, Floating Floors, Gerflor, Godfrey Hirst, Imagine Floors (Airstep), mFLOR, Pegulan, Polyflor, Quick-Step, Redbook and Redbook Green, Signature, Titan, and Victoria Carpets.

Where something is made matters. Around 70% of Floorworld’s products are Australian-made and the demand for local product has increased considerably since the lessons of the recent pandemic. The Floorworld group has a significant bulk buying power that benefits their members. Floorworld partners with a number of Australian owned or operated suppliers who not only produce high quality products, but also support their local communities and stimulate the Australian economy through the creation of local jobs, both now and in the generations to come.

Bob Crotty is CEO of Floorworld. He said, “Floorworld has a track record in driving profitable, sustainable growth while ensuring lean, agile operating models that return value to our members’ bottom line. Over my 25 years with Floorworld I’m proud to have led the business through significant growth, including instigation and delivery of a major brand refresh and store refurbishment program, and development of new routes to market, including e-commerce.” Floorworld member stores benefit from extensive training programs, group advertising, financial and management support, low admin costs and high member rebates.

Giving Back

Bob says, “We are excited to give back to our local communities through our School Sponsorship program. The program is designed to assist schools with direct funding for sports equipment, special projects, and other educational initiatives. We invite schools within a 10km radius of their community Floorworld store to apply for up to $1,000 of funding. Floorworld also allows families to contribute funds back to their child’s school by making a flooring purchase from any Floorworld store.”

Floorworld’s community commitment continues with its support of Pancare, a charity close to the heart of the group because of Billy Tsapatsaris, one of Floorworld’s past directors. Recent statistics released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare estimated that 12,434 Australians would be diagnosed with upper gastrointestinal (GI) cancers this year. This represents a 7% increase in the number of Australians diagnosed in 2020. The Floorworld community’s hard-earned fundraising efforts will accelerate change, promote greater awareness, and support cutting-edge research that will transform and save lives. Keeping to Floorworld’s vision of helping their customers, community, and members live better in the spaces they are in.

Investing in our Future

When consumers choose to buy Australian-made they invest in more than just a product or service. They invest in the future of Australia and in each other. Their journey usually starts online, a trend that accelerated over the last three years but flooring as a tactile product needs to be experienced and felt. This is when Floorworld’s considerable experience comes into play and their member stores guide the customer through a process that eventually leads to the products that are right for their needs. Floorworld believes that it’s not just about what they do now, it’s also about what they do next.

Bob said, “We are firstly a locally owned and operated business. We believe in connecting with our community. We are inclusive and adaptable to change. The Floorworld founders’ business values were that our customers, community, members, and suppliers can live better in the spaces they’re in. For our customers, it’s based on advice; for the community, it’s based on financial support; for their members, it’s about their wealth and well-being; for their suppliers, it’s increased sales. These values are the same today as they were when we first started 32 years ago.”