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Knob Hardware & Tool Store in Connelly Springs, North Carolina, has built a plumbing department that owner Sanu Silwal says generates about 10% to 12% of store revenue. The store’s approach combines a broad product range, organized displays and staff trained to understand customers’ repair problems before recommending parts. A SupplyHouse survey cited by Hardware Retailing found many homeowners delay plumbing repairs and that DIY attempts often fail to resolve the issue.
Knob Hardware & Tool Store in Connelly Springs, North Carolina, has grown its plumbing department into a category that owner Sanu Silwal says brings in about 10% to 12% of store revenue. A Hardware Retailing report describes the store’s strategy: carry common and specialty repair products, keep them easy to find, and train general sales staff to ask about a customer’s problem before recommending a part.
Founded in 2023, Knob Hardware sells across a range of departments and services, including hunting and fishing supplies, U-Haul rentals, screen repair, plumbing and electrical products. Silwal told Hardware Retailing that the plumbing section is relatively new but has become a meaningful part of the business. The store does not employ a plumber dedicated to the department; instead, general sales staff assist customers, with more experienced employees taking on complicated questions and projects.
The department carries faucets, pumps, drain and waste products, pipes, fittings, valves, supply lines and hoses. It also stocks specialty items such as sewage pumps, water-leak monitoring products and hard-to-find repair fittings and replacement parts. Larger boxed products are placed on shelves, while smaller fittings and accessories are arranged on peg hooks or in bins, according to Silwal. The report says the layout is intended to help both homeowners and contractors locate products quickly.
Staff training covers basic product categories, applications, sizing, fittings, connections and common repairs. Silwal said employees are encouraged to understand what a customer is trying to fix before suggesting an item. DIY customers may need help identifying a size, connection or replacement part, while contractors often want a direct path to the right product. The store treats standard items as readily available, higher-volume products and sells specialty items by matching the product’s capacity, size and connection to the customer’s application.
Guidance Turns Repairs Into Sales
The store’s example points to a practical opportunity for independent hardware retailers: a plumbing aisle can serve customers who need both a part and help identifying what will work. That service may matter when a repair is urgent or a homeowner is unsure whether a fitting, valve or replacement component matches the problem. Knob Hardware’s reported 10% to 12% revenue share shows the category’s contribution at this specific store, though the report does not establish that the same result is typical for other retailers.
The source also cites a SupplyHouse survey of 1,001 U.S. homeowners. It found that 93% said they delay plumbing or HVAC repairs at least sometimes; 13% said they waited six months or longer to address their most recent issue, and 8% said they did not address it. Among homeowners facing plumbing issues, 71% tried a DIY fix before calling a professional, while 51% of those attempts either failed to resolve the problem or made it worse. Those findings suggest a gap between homeowners’ willingness to try a repair and their ability to complete it successfully. For retailers, clear guidance and access to the right parts can help customers make more informed choices, while also supporting repeat visits.
Hardware Retailing also describes store-based education options: publish demonstrations for common problems, show repairs in person and group products into job-specific kits. These are recommendations in the report, not claims that Knob Hardware uses every approach or that they have produced measured results there.
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A New Store Builds Its Plumbing Aisle
Knob Hardware opened in 2023 and serves customers through a mix of product departments and services. Its plumbing category accommodates both homeowners attempting repairs themselves and professional customers, according to Silwal. The retailer’s approach does not depend on having a specialist assigned exclusively to plumbing: general staff cover the department, while experienced employees provide additional help when a project is more complicated.
The survey figures offer a snapshot of homeowner behavior, not a measure of Knob Hardware’s customers specifically. The report says minor leaks and clogged drains were the plumbing problems homeowners put off the longest. It also reports differences by generation in how quickly respondents 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. The report does not provide further detail here on survey dates or the margin of error.
“We train our staff on the basic plumbing product categories, including product applications, sizing, fittings, connections and common repair situations.”
— Sanu Silwal, owner of Knob Hardware & Tool Store, in comments to Hardware Retailing
The 10% to 12% revenue figure is Silwal’s estimate for Knob Hardware; the report does not provide a financial filing or independent verification. It also does not give the plumbing department’s sales over time, profit margins, inventory costs or the amount invested in staff training and stock. The figure cannot establish whether the category is growing or how its performance compares with other independent retailers.
The SupplyHouse survey is attributed to 1,001 U.S. homeowners, but the source material does not state when it was conducted, how respondents were selected or the survey’s margin of error. Its results should not be treated as a measure of all homeowners or as proof that retailer education changes repair outcomes. The report also does not say whether Knob Hardware has introduced the suggested online videos, live demonstrations or emergency repair kits.
Education Ideas to Watch
Hardware Retailing’s report points retailers toward three possible steps: share online videos about common repairs, demonstrate products in store and group parts into emergency repair kits. QR codes beside relevant products could link shoppers to instructional videos, the report suggests. These are recommendations rather than announced plans for Knob Hardware.
Further information about the store’s sales trends, the results of any education programs and the survey’s methodology would help show how far its approach can be replicated. For homeowners facing repairs beyond their skills or involving safety risks, store guidance should not be mistaken for a substitute for qualified plumbing help.
Key Questions
How much of Knob Hardware’s revenue comes from plumbing?
Owner Sanu Silwal told Hardware Retailing that plumbing brings in about 10% to 12% of the store’s total revenue. The report does not independently verify the estimate or give a time period for the calculation.
Does Knob Hardware have a dedicated plumbing specialist?
No dedicated plumbing team is described. Silwal said general sales staff assist across the department, with more experienced employees helping with complicated questions or projects.
What plumbing products does the store carry?
The report lists faucets, pumps, pipes, fittings, valves, drain and waste products, supply lines and hoses, along with specialty items such as sewage pumps, leak-monitoring products and repair parts.
What did the homeowner survey find about DIY plumbing?
In the SupplyHouse survey of 1,001 U.S. homeowners, 71% of homeowners facing plumbing issues said they tried a DIY fix before calling a professional. Of those attempts, 51% did not resolve the issue or made it worse. The source does not provide the survey date or margin of error.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
