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At a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo, two independent retailers described using AI-supported tools to streamline daily work and improve checkout. The retailers and Rundoo’s CEO said the technology can free time for employee and customer support, but the report provided no quantified productivity or financial results.
Two independent home-improvement retailers said they are using Rundoo’s AI assistant and related technology to automate everyday tasks, streamline operations and support faster customer service. Their examples were shared at a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo, as independent stores look for ways to compete with larger chains.
Ashmore Paint president Bradley Strayer described a customer-facing benefit: he said Rundoo allows the store to serve customers more quickly at checkout than its previous point-of-sale system. Strayer framed that improvement as a modest but useful advantage when competing with big-box retailers that have access to newer technology.
Jason and Tilenna Hill, owners of B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply, discussed the time spent on routine work. They said AI and Rundoo help take mundane, time-consuming tasks off their plates, leaving more time to support employees. The Hills’ account links automation to customer service through staff: employees who receive more support can, in turn, better assist customers.
Rundoo CEO Nick Hershey urged retailers to test AI across different workflows, arguing that it can handle nonservice tasks and leave more time for customer-facing work. The report does not identify every task automated at either store, or provide measurements of time saved, sales changes or costs.
How Automation Could Help Smaller Stores
The retailers’ examples point to two practical areas where technology may matter to independent businesses: checkout speed and the time available for staff and customer support. For a store competing with a large chain, even a small improvement in the buying experience can be relevant, Strayer said. The report presents that as his assessment, not as a measured comparison of store performance.
Routine work can also draw owners and employees away from customers. The Hills said reducing that burden gives them more capacity to support staff. If these tools reliably take on administrative or repetitive tasks, independent retailers may be able to direct more attention to service, where they see a competitive advantage. The source, however, does not establish how widespread these results are or whether they lead to higher productivity across the sector.
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The Retailers’ AI Use Cases
The report, published by Hardware Retailing on November 2, 2026, covers a recent webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo. Participants included Strayer, the Hills and Rundoo chief executive Nick Hershey. The discussion focused on how technology can support operations at independent home-improvement businesses.
The examples were specific but limited. Strayer compared checkout service with the store’s previous POS system, while the Hills described relief from routine tasks and additional time to support employees. The article identifies Rundoo’s AI assistant as part of the discussion, but does not give technical detail about how the assistant works, which systems it connects to, or which tasks it performs at each business.
“We encourage retailers to ‘Try AI first’ because AI is a revolutionary foundational technology that can help in many, many workflows in the business.”
— Nick Hershey, Rundoo CEO
Results the Webinar Did Not Quantify
The report offers retailer and vendor accounts but no before-and-after productivity data, figures for time saved, financial results or independent evaluation. It is also unclear exactly which everyday tasks the AI assistant handles at Ashmore Paint or B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply, and how much of the reported operational change comes from AI versus other Rundoo software or process changes.
The examples do not establish that the same tools will produce similar results at other independent retailers. The report also does not describe implementation costs, staff training, data handling or any limitations the businesses have encountered.
Further Details From the Webinar
Hardware Retailing directed readers to the full webinar conversation for more detail on how the retailers use AI in their operations. That discussion may clarify the workflows and tools behind the examples, but the report does not announce a new rollout, a timetable for further results or a follow-up study. Measured information on costs, time saved and customer outcomes remains unavailable in the source material.
Key Questions
Which retailers discussed using AI?
Ashmore Paint president Bradley Strayer and B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply owners Jason and Tilenna Hill shared their experiences at a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo.
What did the retailers say the technology helps with?
Strayer said Rundoo lets Ashmore Paint serve customers more quickly at checkout than its previous POS system. The Hills said AI and Rundoo reduce time spent on mundane tasks, giving them more time to support employees.
Did the report quantify productivity gains or savings?
No. The report includes retailer and vendor descriptions but gives no figures for time saved, sales, costs or productivity changes.
Does the report show that AI works for all independent retailers?
No. It recounts experiences from two businesses and does not establish how the tools would perform at other stores or under different operating conditions.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
