Flooring Design: Building Strong Foundations for Customers and Franchisees

When Flooring Design opened its doors in 1996, the vision was simple: combine quality flooring with genuine, honest service and relationships that last. Nearly 30 years on, that vision has grown into a trusted New Zealand brand with over 20 stores nationwide and a reputation for integrity, personal service and beautifully finished floors in homes and businesses right across the country.

From the beginning, Flooring Design has focused on making life easier for franchisees as well as customers. The model offers comprehensive training, ongoing business development support and in-house marketing, along with bookkeeping and administration handled by head office. Franchisees benefit from national supplier deals and centralised systems, and keep more of every dollar of their profit thanks to a structure with no ongoing royalty fees.

That blend of support and independence has attracted people from a wide range of backgrounds. Many are couples or family teams, drawn to the brand’s collaborative, “we’re in this together” culture. Franchisees Dave and Marcia Bragg in Whakatāne, for example, opened their store just two days before the first Covid lockdown. With Dave’s industry experience and Marcia’s finance background, they backed the system, focused on reputation and community, and are now among the network’s top performers with a multi-million-dollar business.

On the lower North Island, Raymond and Julie Hardgrave tell a similar story of growth. After years in installation, Raymond moved “off his knees” into retail with Julie in 2009. Their first store on the Kāpiti Coast was followed by a second in Levin a decade later, built on strong customer relationships, word-of-mouth referrals and active involvement in local clubs and events.

This combination of local ownership, national strength and a shared commitment to customer care was reflected in Flooring Design’s strong showing at the 30th Westpac New Zealand Franchise Awards. In a highly competitive field, the brand was named a finalist for Retail & Hospitality Franchise System of the Year, standing alongside some of the country’s most recognised retail names.

Individual franchisees were also in the spotlight. Dave and Marcia Bragg were finalists for Retail & Hospitality Franchisee of the Year, in recognition of the way they have built a high-performing, community-focused business in Whakatāne. In the Excellence in Customer Service Franchisee category, Amber and Malcolm Carr of Flooring Design Tauranga were also named finalists, underlining the network’s strength in delivering consistently positive experiences for customers.

Flooring Design’s presence across multiple award categories, at both system and franchisee level sends a clear message. The brand is firmly on the radar as a rising force in New Zealand franchising, recognised for strong systems, collaborative culture and the calibre of the people behind each store.

For customers, that means confidence they’re dealing with local owners backed by a proven national brand. For current and future franchisees, it reinforces what the network has been quietly building since 1996: a business on solid foundations, with room to grow, and a genuine commitment to helping people succeed together.