Topps Tiles, the UK’s leading tile specialist, has completed the rollout of Cegid Retail Store Excellence, the task management and retail operations platform, across its 297 stores nationwide. Since going live in March 2025 with Cegid, a European leader in cloud management solutions, the platform has brought a new level of consistency, visibility and engagement to in-store execution, helping teams deliver the highest merchandising standards during key promotional periods.
Before implementing Cegid Retail Store Excellence, Topps Tiles faced challenges ensuring that product on promotion was merchandised accurately and consistently across its store network. Whilst they do have Area managers responsible for store standards, there is an inevitable delay between store visits, leaving head office with limited visibility into how promotions were being executed and store teams without a clear way to demonstrate compliance.
“Some stores were fantastic at bringing promotions to life, while others needed more support,” explained Sarah Kite, Retail Support Manager at Topps Tiles. “The problem was visibility. We couldn’t see in real time what was happening on the shop floor, and our reporting process using Excel spreadsheets was incredibly time-consuming. Now, with Cegid Retail Store Excellence, we can see what’s working and share best practice across the business.”
Using Cegid Retail Store Excellence, Topps Tiles has been able to digitise and automate key store processes, from task management to photo validation and promotional compliance. Store teams can now submit visual proof of their merchandising via the app, giving area managers instant oversight and freeing up valuable time previously spent on admin and manual reporting.
“The solution has transformed the way we work,” continued Sarah. “Area managers now spend more time in stores supporting teams, rather than chasing spreadsheets and photos. Store colleagues also love it, because it gives them the tools and structure to do a great job, and the recognition for doing it well. The launch was one of the smoothest we’ve ever had, and it’s already making a tangible difference to how we operate.”
By improving visibility and reducing the time spent on compliance reporting, Topps Tiles’ area managers have been able to focus on driving sales performance during peak promotional periods such as Easter and autumn, when consumer demand is highest.
While the deployment initially focused on core task management functionality, Topps Tiles plans to expand its use of Cegid Retail Store Excellence to include advanced reporting and internal communications tools such as the in-app newsfeed. The platform will also support the integration of newly acquired stores following Topps Tiles’ purchase of 30 CTD stores earlier this year.
“Although we started small to make sure everything was perfect, the system’s potential is huge,” added Sarah. “It’s already helping us deliver a consistent brand experience wherever our customers shop, and the next phase will be about using its insight and communications features to make stores and teams even more connected.”
Alan Holcroft, UK & Northern Europe Country Manager at Cegid, said, “Working with Topps Tiles has been a fantastic collaboration. They had a clear vision for how to raise standards and make life easier for their store teams, and they’ve executed that vision brilliantly. Cegid Retail Store Excellence is designed to make operational management more efficient, bring structured communication between head office and stores and finally ensure consistent brand standards and compliance across all stores, and Topps Tiles is a great example of this in action.”
The solution went live in March 2025 following a successful pilot in a group of Welsh stores. Cegid provided structured rollout support and planning, while allowing Topps Tiles to retain full control of the implementation, an approach that contributed to what Sarah described as “the best stores launch we’ve ever had.”
Topps Tiles reports that Cegid Retail Store Excellence has, reduced the time required for compliance checks and store reporting; enabled faster resolution of in-store issues; improved consistency and customer experience across all locations; and increased job satisfaction by making tasks clearer, more achievable and more rewarding.
