Minoli Highlights Of 2023

While we like to think of ourselves as a forward-thinking firm, it’s also nice to look back at the year gone and reflect on some of the highlights and key achievements.

In January we were able to report a record performance for the Minoli Outlet in the preceding year with significant increases in metres sold, tonnage and transaction size, and the number of customers visiting both the Outlet store and website, albeit that the 2022 figures will undoubtedly be overshadowed by even more impressive results for 2023.

We also started a series of project stories recounting our work with leading interior designers and developers such as Flair Studio, Arna Interiors, Marola Hughes and Windsor Homes.

In February we started to publish our views on the emerging Design Trends for 2023, exploring the latest creative concepts in porcelain tile design that have set new benchmarks in desirability and durability for walls and floors, inside and outdoors. Working with the top-flight producers in the Italian ceramics industry, we identified five distinctive themes that are being embraced enthusiastically by the design community. Culminating in the publication of Minoli’s first full Design Trends Report, this valuable reference has gone on to become the most frequently downloaded piece of content from our website.

We also shared news of our longstanding relationship with the Automotive Industry and the many manufacturers, specialists, race teams and collectors that we supply for their retail showrooms and workshop needs.

The focus for March was Minoli’s attendance at London Design Week, held at the stunning Design Centre in Chelsea Harbour. Over the week of 13^th – 17^th March, the Minoli team showcased the newly launched collections, focused purposefully on the trend-setting directions that prevailed in 2023. We were thrilled with the reception our products received at the show with interior designers, architects, property developers and fellow exhibitors taking time to explore our displays and talk to the team.

From the end of March and throughput April, the Minoli Outlet Spring Sale was widely promoted across all our online and social channels, with extra savings on selected products in Outlet stock. With over 300 different designs in marble, stone, terrazzo, wood, concrete and metal-effect finishes and items significantly marked down for clearance, it’s no surprise that the Outlet will set new performance benchmarks for 2023.

In May, we launched the Connected Living Design Concept, showcasing the creation of seamless transitions through built environments, and from inside to outdoors. This series of published articles explored the Minoli ranges that offer both coordinating interior tiles and exterior specification paving, so providing a holistic system of surface solutions for walls and floors, inside and outdoors. It’s a design direction that has certainly gained traction with more new coordinating ranges being produced by our Italian manufacturing partners and a significant upswing in uptake from our design and development clients.

Also in May, we relaunched a superior sample service with newly designed sample boxes and an improved online ordering process, to provide our clients with a more reliable and rewarding way of accessing pre-cut pieces of all our most frequently specified ranges.

In June the latest additions to the Minoli Core Essentials Collection were revealed, with sixteen new series or range extensions that are purposefully aligned with the requirements of the development market and represent better value than ever to our clients in the design and construction sectors. Including new product lines with stone, marble and concrete-effect finishes, in porcelain and ceramic, plus patterned and décor ranges, they have been all been chosen for design and style aesthetics, but with affordability and durability very much in mind. The Core product lines are all held in plentiful UK stock at our Distribution Centre in Oxford, ready for prompt delivery to fulfil builds in the fit-out phase.

June also saw the arrival of a new addition to the Minoli Fleet in the form of a brand-new DAF 18T CF-260 FA Curtain-Sider which can manage a load of just under 10 tonnes, increasing our daily delivery capacity to over 110,000 KGs and allowing us to safely transport and reliably deliver our wide-ranging product portfolio in greater quantities. This impressive LGV is adorned with a unique livery, featuring the stunning Azzure and Turquoise tones of the Minoli Wanderlust Labradorite range, and the registration number 6 LPM (after Luigi Pietro Minoli – our founder).

As the summer season hotted up in July, so our attention turned to the Outdoor By Minoli Collection and a review of the Top Ten Advantages of porcelain paving over more traditional alternatives such as concrete paving, quarried stone and wooden or composite decking.

We also took a moment to reflect on Minoli’s half year performance and some of the economic factors influencing our strategic plans, new initiatives and our steadfast focus on the things that matter most to our clients – stock, supply and service.

Throughout August, we recapped on the curated collections that provide interior design inspiration to our professional and private customers – a stunning selection of stand-out, principally porcelain ranges that have become frequently specified.

The pace of innovation in new surface treatments, sizes and patterns is remarkable and advancements in tile manufacturing techniques have seen the emergence of extended lines of extra-large format slabs, different finishes, higher definition graphics and new techniques in transparent layering that produce designs with extraordinary depth and movement.

On September 1^st, Minoli’s Managing Director, Jonathon Minoli, reflected on his 35-years in the family business. Having taken on his first ‘proper’ role with a degree of responsibility in account management in the autumn of 1988, just before his 20^th birthday, his career started under the watchful eye of his father, Peter. Points that stood out from this longstanding tenure included the progressive development of the Oxford site, the return to having a London premises, the expansion of the product portfolio, a track record of steady organic growth and financial stability, and the expansion of the Minoli team with new roles and expertise.

Another significant milestone that we celebrated in September was the 10^th anniversary of the opening of The Surface Within – the London home of Minoli in George Street, Marylebone. The occasion was marked with a Prosecco, Cocktail and Canapes reception at the showroom, with around 130 guests joining Jonathon Minoli and the team.

To conclude the month, Minoli hosted an Open Studio Showroom for London Design Festival 2023, as an Official Partner of the event, featuring the brand-new displays and room settings that were refreshed for the anniversary celebrations. Over the week we welcomed professional designers and architects, as well as homeowners, tourists and students, who embraced the event, some spending days touring the districts and participating exhibitors.

In October, we again featured news of more work with motor manufacturers. During the course of the year, we’ve seen flagship sites open that feature Minoli’s specialist automotive ranges for brands including Rygor Mercedes Commercial Vehicles, Girardo & Co classic car specialists, the Pata Yamaha Prometeon WorldSBK Team’s facilities, the Lotus London Brand Centre on Park Lane, as well as several new Kia UK, Kia Europe and Volvo UK dealerships.

October also saw the launch of the Minoli Design-Led News & Views newsletter on Linked In as a fresh channel through which we are sharing more valuable content for our professional clients.

As is often the case in November, we’re always delighted to see Minoli clients winning awards and being recognised for their achievements. This year we were able to congratulate some of our longest-standing customers on accolades at the Housebuilder Awards, UK Property Awards, WhatHouse? Awards and Surrey Property Awards. Our congratulations to all those who received gongs for their efforts.

We also started to publish a series of articles outlining the next set of Design Trends for 2024, framed around six themes that embrace the latest creative ideas and production technologies and how they accord with the new launches for next year.

And so, to December, a truly memorable month as at this time we release full details of the new ranges for the coming year, with extensive coverage across all our social media channels and website. This year, on Thursday 7th December, some 250 guests joined the Minoli team to celebrate Christmas and take stock of the new series on display including Marvel Meraviglia, Marvel Onyx, Boost Balance, Boost Mineral, Elysian Travertini and Jolie.

Overall, despite some economic uncertainty, with interest rates and the cost-of-living disrupting parts of the construction sector and housing market, Minoli is set to deliver record turnover in 2023. For this we certainly have our loyal and longstanding clients to thank for their continued custom – in housebuilding, property development, interior design and architecture, automotive and retail, as well as private homeowners.

We believe another contributor to this performance is our continued investment in the things that make a real difference and add value for our customers – our team, delivery fleet, showrooms, stockholding and outstanding product ranges – to name but a few.

We wish all our clients, suppliers and friends of Minoli a very merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous new year.