The same Faucet can be sold through multiple sales channels, but that does not mean every channel should carry exactly the same SKUs and configurations.
Retail, commercial projects, and project procurement involve different purchasing methods, installation environments, and long-term maintenance conditions.
Product Range planning should therefore determine which elements can be shared and which need to be adjusted.
Why Shouldn’t a Commercial Shower Faucet Simply Copy the Retail Configuration?
Take a Commercial Shower Faucet as an example.
In retail, products usually need to be easy for customers to understand and select. Appearance, function combinations, and packaging presentation can all play an important role.
In Commercial or Project applications, priorities may shift more toward:
Installation compatibility;
Long-term use;
Ease of maintenance;
Spare Parts;
Specific project requirements.
The same basic Shower Faucet can therefore serve multiple channels, but the final configuration does not always need to be identical.
For example, display packaging or accessory combinations that add value in retail may not provide the same value in a large project order.
Likewise, the installation, spare-parts, or maintenance requirements needed for commercial and project applications do not necessarily need to be added to every Retail SKU.
Share the Product Platform Instead of Forcing Every Channel to Share the Same SKUs
Channel differences do not mean that each channel needs a completely separate product developed from the beginning.
If the main structure, core components, and installation specifications are already suitable, they can remain part of a shared Product Platform. Only the elements that genuinely need to change for each channel should be adjusted.
For example:
Finish combinations;
Accessory configurations;
Packaging methods;
Number of SKUs;
Maintenance or Spare Parts plans.
This approach maintains commonality across the product range without ignoring the actual needs of different channels for the sake of standardization.
That is the purpose of a Product Platform:
Keep what does not need to change stable, and place the differences each channel actually needs in the outer configuration.
If every channel develops a different body structure and different core components, supply complexity can increase quickly.
However, forcing every channel to use exactly the same configuration may also make some channels pay for functions or packaging that provide little value to them.
When Is a Channel-Specific SKU Necessary?
The key question is:
Do channel differences actually change how the product is purchased or used?
If only the sales location changes while the product requirements remain essentially the same, there is no need to create a new SKU artificially.
However, if a commerciële badkraan faces clearly different installation conditions, usage frequency, maintenance methods, or configuration requirements, forcing it to use exactly the same Retail SKU may create more problems later.
A Channel-Specific SKU should therefore correspond to a clear difference.
Not:
“This is a Commercial Channel, so it must have a Commercial model.”
But:
“What does this channel specifically require that the existing SKU cannot reasonably provide?”
Only when this question has a clear answer does a new SKU have real value.
Basic Performance Requirements Should Not Be Treated as “Channel Customization”
Channels can change product configurations, but not every product specification should change with the sales channel.
If a product is intended for a specific target market, its applicable basic product requirements still need to be maintained.
For example, if a Commercial Shower Faucet includes a WaterSense-labeled Showerhead, the U.S. EPA WaterSense requirements for flow rate and spray performance do not change depending on whether the product is sold through a Retail Channel or a Commercial Channel.
Similarly, applicable requirements under ASME A112.18.1/CSA B125.1 for Plumbing Supply Fittings are fundamentally related to the product and target market. They are not optional configurations determined simply by the sales channel.
This distinction is important.
Channel Strategy should adjust:
The product content that genuinely needs to differ by channel.
It should not treat basic product requirements as elements that can be changed freely according to the sales channel.
Good Channel Strategy Defines the Boundary Between “Shared” and “Different”
The right question is not:
“Should different channels sell the same Faucet?”
Instead, ask:
“Which product conditions can remain consistent across channels, and which genuinely need to change?”
If the main structure and core platform can be shared, there is no need to develop them repeatedly.
Finishes, accessories, packaging, SKU depth, or maintenance plans that genuinely need to differ by channel can be adjusted on top of the shared platform.
A good Channel Strategy does not mean creating one completely separate product range for every channel. Nor does it mean forcing every channel to carry exactly the same products.
It means finding a reasonable boundary between shared efficiency and actual channel requirements.
