StoneStore is one of the UK’s leading importers of natural stone and Italian porcelain tiles, ordering directly from quarries and manufacturers from Europe and around the world. Ordering by the container/lorry load means we have thousands of square meters of stock at our Manchester warehouse available for delivery as quick as next day. Whether you're looking for classic marble floor tiles such as our Italian Bianco Carrara, or a sparkly porcelain wall tile for your bathroom, our warehouse is brimming with stock ready for delivery.
We understand that buying kitchen and bathroom tiles is a major decision and therefore are happy for customers to visit us and pick any pallet at random to inspect and satisfy themselves our stock is Premium Grade/ First Choice, without any of the quality issues found in cheaper “commercial grade” material.
You may find similar products from other suppliers which might be slightly cheaper, however these will certainly be “commercial grade/ second choice” products. We’ve experienced numerous customers who have received perfect samples, but when the final order has arrived, the tiles are clearly lower quality.
We pay extra to have our natural stone tiles independently inspected at the quarry before they are packed securely into crates for to be shipped to us. Customers who visit us leave confident that we’ll take care of their investment and are impressed by the attention and care our warehouse staff take to ensure orders are securely and safely packed for transit.
The majority of UK-based Internet sellers don't import their own products; they purchase them from wholesalers, but claim they are direct importers as it presents a better picture to prospective customers. Ask a potential supplier if you can view the stock before you buy. If they say ‘no’ then it’s likely they’ll have little control over the source and quality of the tiles that are despatched to you.
As direct importers we have full control of what is brought into our warehouse, whereas those who purchase from wholesalers and use “drop shipping” methods have to rely upon the wholesaler to send out the right quality goods as advertised.
If, for instance, you visited one of the larger chain stores and looked for Bianco Carrara marble tiles, you will likely find them at £80/sqm. The same products at StoneStore are 60% cheaper than this. Why? Aside from the chain stores having huge overheads to service and shareholders to answer to, they don’t import these products directly from the factory - they buy from distributors like us.
StoneStore control the shipping and delivery. Once you’ve inspected the stock and are happy with the quality, we’ll reserve that stock for you and ship it to your site as quickly as the next day. Should your project be delayed, we’ll happily hold the stock safely, without extra charge, until you’re ready for it on site.