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Two independent home-improvement retailers shared how they use Rundoo’s AI assistant and business software to streamline daily operations and serve customers more quickly. Their examples came during a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo; the reported benefits are retailer accounts, not independently measured productivity results.
Two independent home-improvement retailers said they are using Rundoo’s AI assistant and software to automate routine work, streamline operations and improve customer service. They shared their experiences during a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo, describing how technology may help independent stores compete with large chains.
Ashmore Paint president Bradley Strayer and B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply owners Jason and Tilenna Hill joined Rundoo CEO Nick Hershey for the discussion. The retailers described using the company’s tools to reduce time spent on everyday tasks and make store operations run more smoothly.
Strayer said Rundoo lets Ashmore Paint serve customers more quickly at checkout than its previous point-of-sale system. He framed that speed as a practical competitive advantage, rather than a large-scale change to the business. Buying groups help independent retailers obtain merchandise at competitive prices, he said, while the software helps them sell more competitively.
The Hills said automating mundane, time-consuming work gives them more time to support employees. In their view, better-supported employees can then provide more help to customers. The report does not give figures for time saved, sales growth, costs or other measured outcomes.
How AI Could Help Stores Compete
Independent retailers often compete with larger chains that have access to extensive technology and operational resources. The webinar participants argued that faster checkout and less routine administrative work can help smaller businesses improve service without matching big-box retailers feature for feature.
The potential value extends beyond automation: if technology handles some nonservice tasks, store owners and employees may be able to spend more time advising customers. That is the competitive case Hershey made. However, the report documents retailer experiences and opinions, not a controlled comparison showing that AI use improves revenue, productivity or customer satisfaction across the sector.
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Retailers’ Existing Technology Strategy
The report places AI within a broader effort by independent home-improvement businesses to use technology for operational efficiency and differentiation. It says digital tools can help retailers complete tasks faster while competing with large chains, but the webinar examples focus specifically on Rundoo’s products and two participating businesses.
Rundoo CEO Nick Hershey encouraged retailers to try AI across different workflows. He said the technology could support many business processes and argued that reducing nonservice work could free staff to focus on helping customers. Those comments describe the company leader’s view of AI’s potential; the report does not detail which tasks the assistant performs at each store.
“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
Benefits Without Published Metrics
The report does not quantify time savings, labor changes, customer-service outcomes or financial returns at either retailer. It also does not specify which workflows the AI assistant handles, how much of each retailer’s operation uses the system, or the software’s cost.
The examples come from retailers participating in a webinar hosted with Rundoo, whose CEO also discussed the product. The accounts provide firsthand descriptions, but they do not establish how broadly the results apply to independent retailers or compare the system with alternatives.
Further Details From the Webinar
The original report directs readers to the full webinar conversation for more information on how Ashmore Paint and B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply use the tools. That discussion is the next identified source for operational detail; the report gives no timeline for additional results or product announcements.
Further evaluation of the retailers’ claims would require information such as task-level time savings, implementation costs and customer-service or sales measures. No such figures or independent assessment are included in the available report.
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 during the webinar.
What does the report say the AI tools help with?
The retailers described using Rundoo’s AI assistant and software to automate everyday tasks, streamline operations and support faster customer service. The report does not list every task the AI performs.
What improvement did Ashmore Paint identify?
Bradley Strayer said the store can serve customers more quickly at checkout than with its previous point-of-sale system. The report provides no checkout-time figures.
Did the report provide data proving productivity gains?
No. It presents the retailers’ accounts but gives no quantified productivity, cost, sales or customer-satisfaction results.
Who hosted the webinar?
The webinar was hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo, the company whose CEO joined the retailer discussion.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
