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At a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo, two independent retailers described using Rundoo’s AI assistant to streamline routine tasks and operations. Their accounts point to possible productivity and service benefits, but the report provides no measured results or cost comparisons.
Two independent home-improvement retailers said a Rundoo AI assistant is helping them streamline everyday operations, including checkout and time-consuming administrative work, during a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo. Their examples show how independent businesses are applying AI to free up time for staff and customer support, though the report does not quantify the gains.
Ashmore Paint president Bradley Strayer and B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply owners Jason and Tilenna Hill joined Rundoo CEO Nick Hershey to discuss the technology’s use in their businesses. The webinar focused on automating routine tasks, streamlining operations and supporting business decisions through Rundoo’s AI tools.
Strayer said Rundoo allows his store to serve customers more quickly at checkout than its previous point-of-sale system. He framed that improvement as one of a series of small operational advantages that can matter when competing with large retailers. The report does not provide checkout times or other before-and-after figures.
The Hills said the tools take mundane, time-consuming tasks off their plates, giving them more time to support employees. Jason Hill described the system as making business operations run more smoothly. The report does not specify which tasks are automated at B-Town or provide details on the assistant’s setup, safeguards or integration with existing systems.
Time for Service, Not Routine Work
The retailers’ accounts highlight a practical argument for AI in smaller businesses: handling some routine work could let owners and staff spend more time on employee support and customer service. For independent hardware, paint, plumbing and electrical suppliers, service can distinguish them from larger competitors, while faster checkout may reduce friction for customers.
Strayer also linked technology to price competition. He said buying groups help independents purchase merchandise at competitive prices, while Rundoo helps them sell more competitively. That is his assessment of the business’s position, not a measured finding in the report; no pricing data or comparison with big-box retailers was provided.
The accounts are useful examples of how retailers say they are using AI, but they do not establish that the same results will apply across the independent channel. The webinar was hosted by Rundoo, whose CEO also participated, and the report offers retailer testimonials rather than an independent evaluation or quantified productivity study.
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Retailers’ Move Beyond the Old POS
The report, published by Hardware Retailing on November 2, 2026, places the discussion within a broader effort by independent home-improvement retailers to use technology to improve productivity and compete with big-box stores. It describes the webinar as a conversation between two retailers and Rundoo’s chief executive, rather than a survey of the sector.
Strayer’s comparison with Ashmore Paint’s previous point-of-sale system gives one specific example of a change: he said customers can be served more instantly at checkout using Rundoo. The report does not name the earlier system or say when the store adopted Rundoo. The Hills’ comments offer a separate example focused on reducing time spent on routine work and increasing the attention available for employees.
Hershey encouraged retailers to try AI in different business workflows. He argued that technology could take on non-service tasks and leave retailers more capacity to help customers. That is the Rundoo CEO’s view of the technology’s potential, not evidence that all such tasks can currently be automated.
“We encourage retailers to ‘Try AI first’ because AI is a revolutionary foundational technology that can help in many, many workflows in the business.”
— Rundoo CEO Nick Hershey
No Figures on Productivity Gains
The report does not state how much time the retailers save, whether checkout speed improved by a measurable amount, or what financial return they have seen. It also does not detail the specific workflows handled by the AI assistant, the costs of using it, or how the businesses assess accuracy and staff oversight.
The two retailers’ remarks are individual accounts from a webinar hosted with the technology provider. It remains unclear whether their experiences are representative of independent retailers more broadly, how the tools perform in other types of stores, and whether faster operations translate into higher sales or lower costs.
Further Details From the Webinar
Hardware Retailing directs readers to the full webinar conversation for more information about how Ashmore Paint and B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply use AI in their operations. The published report does not announce a new product release, rollout schedule or follow-up study.
More evidence about the technology’s impact would require details such as task-level time savings, costs, accuracy and customer-service measures. Until those are available, the reported benefits remain the retailers’ descriptions of their own experience rather than quantified results for the channel.
Key Questions
Which retailers discussed using AI?
Ashmore Paint president Bradley Strayer and B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply owners Jason and Tilenna Hill spoke at the webinar.
What AI product did they discuss?
The retailers discussed Rundoo’s AI assistant and its role in routine tasks and business operations.
What benefits did the retailers report?
Strayer said the system supports faster service at checkout than Ashmore Paint’s previous POS system. The Hills said it reduces time spent on mundane tasks, leaving more time to support employees. The report gives no numerical measures of those benefits.
Does the report show that AI increased sales or profits?
No. It includes retailer accounts of operational and service benefits but provides no sales, profit, cost or productivity data to establish a financial impact.
Where can readers find more information?
Hardware Retailing points readers to the full webinar conversation with the retailers and Rundoo CEO Nick Hershey.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
