When end-user customers experience a plumbing crisis in their homes, the first thing on their mind is how to fix it as quickly as possible. Getting the issue fixed from a pro they trust will do a good job is likely a very close second.
I’ve had many conversations recently with distributors and manufacturers’ reps about retail home stores continuing to branch into the pro side of our industry. With the marketing budgets and other “advantages” these chains may have, preserving and protecting the warehouse and showroom customer loyalty is an ongoing concern.