The grand opening of WDC’s award-winning showroom in La Quinta, Calif.
New member celebrated for stunning new showroom
By Alan Wolf, YSN
There’s cause for triple celebration around WDC Kitchen & Bath Center.
First, the celebrated Southern California appliance, plumbing fixtures and mattress destination is one of the most recent members to join the BrandSource dealer family. Welcome aboard, WDC!
Second, the family-owned business just opened its sixth interactive location, a 38,000-square-foot luxury showroom in the town of La Quinta that’s the talk of the designer community — and, apparently, the appliance and home building industries as well.
That’s because the state-of-the-art facility just won a prestigious NKBA/KBIS Innovative Showroom Award at last month’s co-located Kitchen & Bath Industry Show and International Builders Show in Las Vegas — the third reason for popping the champagne corks.
See grand opening video, here.
By way of background, WDC was founded by Tom Schlender in 1982 as Warehouse Discount Center and went on to become the largest appliance and plumbing supply specialty chain in California and one of the largest in the country. A staple for home improvement professionals and customers, the company attributes its success to its focus on “expert service, unbeatable value and a commitment to supporting the SoCal community we call home.”
Besides the new La Quinta location, that trading area includes Moorpark (home to WDC’s headquarters store) and extends to Agoura Hills, Lomita, Oxnard and Santa Barbara, where its signature showrooms uniquely reflect their respective locales. The stores are complemented by an expansive e-commerce website, WDCAppliances.com, which offers a wide assortment of ready-to-ship inventory, including kitchen, laundry and outdoor appliances plus accessories and mattresses.
WDC joined BrandSource from the NATM Buying Corp., a national merchandising group comprised of some of the country’s largest regional chains, including Warren Buffett’s Nebraska Furniture Mart. Soon thereafter it opened the La Quinta store, and was quickly bestowed an Innovative Showroom Award by the National Kitchen & Bath Association (NKBA).
The award series honors companies that excel across the entire showroom sales spectrum, from trade pros, designers and developers, to builders, remodelers and consumers. Recipients provide an outstanding showroom experience by creating “inspiring and informative environments that showcase innovation in design, technology and materials, provide outstanding customer service and represent the integrity of the industry,” the NKBA said.
Specifically, the La Quinta showroom was lauded for its modern and airy design, fostered by a 30-foot-high ceiling. The store also features 16 luxury kitchen appliance vignettes, 13 high-end plumbing vignettes, an outdoor kitchen area, a customer lounge and collaboration spaces.
The vignettes represent individual manufacturers’ branding, but the full showroom has a cohesive feel, said designer Shoko Takahashi-Diaz, owing to the use of innovative materials like leather laminate, Airslate walls, textured wood panels and printed porcelain slabs. Together they create a “functional, cost-effective space that helps clients and designers visualize their new or upgraded spaces,” the NKBA said.
Speaking on behalf of WDC, Derek Pregibon, the company’s COO, said in an email that “Winning this esteemed award is a moment of immense pride for us all. It reaffirms our commitment to pushing the boundaries of innovation and redefining industry standards.”
He continued, “Our showroom has always been envisioned as more than just a space; it’s a reflection of our passion for innovation, design, and customer experience. This recognition underscores our success in creating a truly immersive and forward-thinking environment for our valued customers.”
Congratulations to Tom, Derek and the entire WDC team. It’s great to have you aboard!
YSN publisher AVB BrandSource is the nation’s largest merchandising and marketing co-op for independent appliance, mattress, furniture and CE dealers.
