In March 1986, Reece’s then CEO, Alan Wilson went on a study tour to see the German innovations in showrooms.  At the time, nothing in Australia was like what Alan saw on this trip.   

Bringing what he had learned back to Australia, Reece’s showrooms became increasingly sophisticated, influenced by European style and showcasing the latest innovations. This culminated in the opening of the Burwood showroom in Melbourne, which featured thirty-six bathroom setups, twenty-four kitchens and a dozen or more laundries.

The Burwood showroom was state-of-the-art in terms of design and store experience. People came from all around to see the displays. Given its size and variety, Burwood evolved into a training ground for up-and-coming managers, who would go on to manage showrooms across Australia. 

 One of our values at Reece is “Innovate Big & Small”. Our values guide our decision-making and how we do business. The showroom was a new frontier for Reece, so Alan gave free rein to his people to experiment and test new ways to sell to customers.

Reece’s culture of continuous improvement has helped the business continue to evolve the showroom experience for our people and our customers.  This approach to doing business still holds true at Reece today. 

 Nearly 40 years on from opening Burwood, we continue to invest in the bathroom experience around the world, with the recent launch of the Reece Bath+Kitchen brand in the US market and the opening of two new showrooms in Texas.