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Knob Hardware & Tool Store in Connelly Springs, North Carolina, says its plumbing department contributes about 10% to 12% of store revenue, despite the business being founded in 2023. Owner Sanu Silwal attributes the category’s role to product range, organized displays and staff who help customers identify the right parts; the source report does not provide sales comparisons or independently verify the revenue share.
Knob Hardware & Tool Store in Connelly Springs, North Carolina, says its plumbing department generates about 10% to 12% of total store revenue, offering a case study in how an independent retailer serves homeowners and contractors with plumbing products and staff guidance. Owner Sanu Silwal described the department to Hardware Retailing; the report does not include audited sales figures or comparisons with earlier periods.
Founded in 2023, Knob Hardware carries departments and services ranging from hunting and fishing to U-Haul rentals and screen repair. Silwal says the store has built a broad plumbing assortment in the few years since opening. Products include faucets, pumps, drain and waste items, pipes, valves, fittings, supply lines and hoses, along with specialty goods such as sewage pumps, leak-monitoring products and repair parts.
Silwal told Hardware Retailing that staff receive training in product applications, sizing, fittings and connections, as well as common repair situations. Employees are expected to understand a customer’s project before recommending an item. The store does not have a plumbing-only sales team; general sales staff assist across departments, with more experienced employees helping on complicated questions.
The retailer organizes larger boxed products on shelves and smaller fittings and repair parts in bins or on peg hooks. Silwal said standard items are treated as readily available, higher-volume products, while specialty items often require staff to match a part to the customer’s problem, dimensions and intended use. The article describes the store’s approach but does not report staffing costs, margins or year-over-year plumbing sales.
Service Helps Sell Plumbing Parts
Plumbing problems can prompt urgent purchases, but customers may not know which size, fitting or replacement part will solve the issue. Knob Hardware’s reported model combines a broad inventory with staff assistance, serving both homeowners attempting repairs and professionals seeking parts for jobs. The owner’s estimate that plumbing brings in 10% to 12% of revenue indicates the category has a meaningful place in this store’s sales mix, though it does not establish that the approach will produce the same results elsewhere.
The report also points to a service challenge for independent retailers: helping customers make informed choices without having a dedicated specialist on hand. Organized displays can help shoppers find routine items, while staff knowledge may matter more for less common repairs. Hardware Retailing suggests additional education options, including online demonstrations, in-store product demonstrations and grouped emergency-repair kits. These are presented as ideas, not as programs the article confirms Knob Hardware has implemented.
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Homeowners Often Try Repairs First
Hardware Retailing cites a SupplyHouse survey of 1,001 U.S. homeowners to describe demand for plumbing help. The survey found that 93% said they delay plumbing or HVAC repairs at least sometimes. It also reported that 13% waited six months or longer to address their most recent issue and 8% did not address it.
For plumbing problems, 71% said they tried a DIY fix before calling a professional; among those attempts, 51% did not resolve the problem or made it worse. The survey also found differences by generation in how quickly people addressed their most recent issue: 45% of baby boomers said they acted immediately, compared with 34% of Gen X, 35% of millennials and 31% of Gen Z. These figures describe survey responses, not all U.S. homeowners, and the report does not provide further detail on the survey’s methodology.
“Staff are encouraged to understand the customer’s project before recommending a product.”
— Sanu Silwal, owner of Knob Hardware & Tool Store, as quoted by Hardware Retailing
Sales Data and Survey Limits
The 10% to 12% revenue share is Silwal’s estimate as reported by Hardware Retailing; the source provides no financial records, timeframe for the calculation or comparison with other departments or retailers. It is also unclear how the plumbing category’s sales have changed since the store opened in 2023, or how much the department’s results depend on particular products, customer traffic or local demand.
The SupplyHouse survey offers a snapshot of homeowner responses, but the source report does not state when it was conducted, how participants were recruited or how the questions were worded. The survey results should not be treated as independently verified measures of repair behavior across the entire U.S. population.
Education Ideas for Retailers
Hardware Retailing recommends that retailers consider short instructional videos for common issues such as clogged drains, running toilets and dripping faucets, as well as in-store demonstrations and grouped repair kits. QR codes near related products could direct shoppers to instructional material. The report does not give a timeline for these ideas or say that Knob Hardware plans to adopt them.
For now, the available account documents Knob Hardware’s current approach: maintain a varied assortment, keep products organized and use trained general staff to guide customers. Further information about the department’s growth, profitability and any future education programs has not been provided.
Key Questions
How much revenue does Knob Hardware say its plumbing department generates?
Owner Sanu Silwal says it contributes about 10% to 12% of total store revenue. Hardware Retailing did not provide audited figures or specify the period used for the estimate.
Where is Knob Hardware & Tool Store?
The store is in Connelly Springs, North Carolina. The report says it was founded in 2023.
Does the store employ a dedicated plumbing team?
No. Silwal told Hardware Retailing that general sales staff assist customers across the plumbing department, with more experienced employees helping with complicated questions or projects.
What did the SupplyHouse survey find about DIY plumbing?
In a survey of 1,001 U.S. homeowners, 71% of respondents facing plumbing issues said they tried a DIY fix before calling a professional. Among those attempts, 51% did not resolve the issue or made it worse.
What customer-education ideas does the report suggest?
Hardware Retailing suggests online videos, in-store demonstrations and grouped emergency-repair kits, potentially with QR codes linking to how-to material. The report does not say these programs are already operating at Knob Hardware.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
