Founded 17 years ago by entrepreneurs Steve and Brenda Mundi, the TUBS story began with the acquisition of a local plumbing store and a vision of revolutionizing the bath industry. Acquired in 1989 by Steve and Brenda Mundi, “The Plumbing Warehouse” as it was then known, featured only 1200 Sq-Ft of retail space and had the footprint of a typical small plumbing store. Understanding that consumer demographics had changed over the years, the Mundi’s immediately set out to find a bigger location to house their new vision of “The Ultimate Bath Store”.
That same year a 7000 Sq-Ft showroom would be designed and relocated to a new location on Mellony Crescent in Brampton. The new Brampton showroom would serve as the springboard for their new and unique retail concepts. It would be the first of its kind to feature new concepts in bath fixture coordination. Its immediate success proved to both the public and the supply base that they were on the right track.
Two years into the development of the new concept, a central showroom would be located at 4544 Dufferin Street offering the consumer central access from anywhere in the GTA. The showroom would be the first to offer over 30 fully coordinated bath suites, including coordinated accessories. A bold and aggressive move that would pave the way for what would eventually become the flagship store in Etobicoke.
As part of their vision, TUBS would begin to design and import exclusive product from around the globe, allowing them to further differentiate themselves from mainstream bath stores. The initial 5000 Sq-Ft showroom would more than double in order to accommodate the introduction of the unique products sourced throughout the world.
Although the name “The Plumbing Warehouse” would adorn the showroom for the next four years, the entrepreneurs felt it did not reflect their vision or the grandeur of the new showroom. From the Mundi’s original vision to create “The Ultimate Bath Store”, the new showroom would be re-branded “TUBS – The Ultimate Bath Store”, a name truly befitting the look and feel of the showroom.
As word of the new showroom spread, consumers began to frequent the store from the outskirts of the GTA. Backed by a strong demand from the consumer base, TUBS would eventually open locations in Mississauga and Scarborough giving consumers easy access to a TUBS store from anywhere in the GTA. The Scarborough location would be the first showroom to incorporate all of the elements of the “TUBS” ultimate bath store concept.
Still not content with the status quo, in 2006 the Mundi’s decide to push the concept of bathroom retailing to new heights by opening the world’s first 27 000 Sq-Ft “Mega” showroom. The new showroom would be the first to feature over 100 fully decorated bath suites and become the pinnacle of the industry.
Today the vision of The Ultimate Bath Store, developed over the last 15 years, is instantly recognizable at each of the four TUBS showroom locations. The showrooms truly offer both decorators and retail customers a unique and creative environment in which to design their “Ultimate” bathroom.
