Not every faucet in a product portfolio needs to perform the same role.
Some models should form the core of a range and carry most of its product presentation and sales focus. Others may address narrower demand while adding functional, price or application coverage.
Without distinguishing these roles, it is easy to evaluate every SKU by the same standard.
A Core Product Should Represent the Range
Take a Waterfall Basin Faucet range as an example. If waterfall flow is its defining product characteristic, the core model should make that feature immediately clear while keeping the overall configuration relatively easy to understand.
A basic waterfall basin faucet may therefore work better as a core product than a highly complex multifunctional model because it communicates what the range is about more directly.
The core model does not have to offer the highest configuration or the lowest price. It acts as the center of the range: the main design direction, function and positioning should all be recognizable through that product.
Supporting Products Should Fill Roles the Core Product Cannot
Beyond the core model, the range may include a waterfall basin mixer faucet or versions with additional functions.
Whether these products deserve a place in the portfolio should not be judged only by whether they can sell independently. Their role within the overall range also matters.
One model may cover a different installation or usage requirement. Another may provide a higher configuration, while another may extend the range into a particular finish or price segment.
For example, if a multifunctional waterfall basin faucet serves a clearly different functional requirement, it can act as an extension of the core range without replacing the simpler model.
Not Every SKU Needs to Be a Hero Product
If every new product is expected to become a bestseller, showcase model, functional upgrade and price-positioning product at the same time, the portfolio can quickly lose its structure.
A clearer approach is to assign a primary role to major SKUs. Is this a core product, a functional extension, a price-coverage model or a design extension?
One SKU can serve more than one purpose, but it should still have a primary reason for being in the range.
This also makes future portfolio decisions easier. Core products establish the center of the range, while supporting products expand the needs it can cover. A strong portfolio does not need many “key products”; it needs products with clear reasons to exist.
Sources for this article：
- ASME – A112.18.1/CSA B125.1 Plumbing Supply Fittings
- Plumbing Manufacturers International – Water Efficiency Studies
