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Two independent retailers described using Rundoo’s AI tools to streamline routine work and improve operations during a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo. The retailers said faster checkout and less time spent on mundane tasks can help them compete with larger chains, though the report provides no quantified productivity or financial results.
Two independent home-improvement retailers described using Rundoo’s AI assistant and retail tools to speed everyday operations and free staff for customer service during a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association (NHPA) and Rundoo. Their accounts offer examples of how smaller businesses are applying AI, but the report does not quantify time savings, sales effects or other outcomes.
Ashmore Paint president Bradley Strayer said Rundoo lets the store serve customers more quickly at checkout than its previous point-of-sale system. He framed this as a practical advantage against big-box competitors, rather than a sweeping change to the business. Strayer also credited buying groups with helping independent retailers purchase merchandise at competitive prices.
Jason and Tilenna Hill, owners of B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply, said AI and Rundoo reduce the burden of routine, time-consuming tasks. Jason Hill said the tools make operations run more smoothly and give the owners more time to support employees. The report does not specify which tasks are automated at the Hills’ business or how much staff time is saved.
Rundoo CEO Nick Hershey urged retailers to try AI across different workflows. He said technology could handle non-service tasks, allowing retailers to focus on customer assistance. That is his view of AI’s potential, not a measured result reported by the webinar article.
How AI Could Help Smaller Retailers Compete
The examples point to a specific business case for AI and retail technology: reducing friction in routine operations while keeping employees available to help customers. For independent stores competing with larger chains, faster checkout and more staff attention may improve the customer experience. Strayer’s comments also underscore that technology is one part of competition; he cited buying groups as another way independents can keep merchandise pricing competitive.
The report presents retailer experiences, not an industry-wide assessment. It offers no comparative data on checkout times, labor costs, customer satisfaction, revenue or return on investment. The accounts are useful as examples of adoption, but they do not establish that the same tools will produce the same results for other retailers.
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Retailers’ Examples From the Webinar
The report was published by Hardware Retailing on November 2, 2026, under its industry news and events coverage. It describes a recent webinar organized by the NHPA and Rundoo, with Strayer, the Hills and Rundoo chief executive Nick Hershey discussing the use of AI and related technology in independent retail operations.
The discussion focused on operational tasks and customer-facing service. Strayer discussed checkout using Rundoo compared with the store’s earlier POS system; the Hills focused on routine work and employee support. The source does not identify the webinar’s date, provide a detailed product description, or say whether the retailers use the same functions.
“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 and Rollout Details Remain Unreported
The scale of the reported benefits is unclear. The article gives no figures for time saved, checkout speed, staffing changes, costs, revenue or customer outcomes. It also does not detail how the AI assistant works, which tasks it performs, or how the retailers check its outputs. The examples come from two businesses participating in a webinar hosted in part by Rundoo, and the report does not include independent evaluation or perspectives from other retailers.
It is also unclear whether these retailers plan to expand their use of AI, whether other independent stores have adopted similar tools, or what implementation requirements apply. No product pricing, technical specifications or comparisons with alternative systems are provided.
Further Retailer Details Could Clarify Impact
The source points readers to the full webinar conversation for more detail on how the retailers use AI and Rundoo in their operations. It does not announce a new product, rollout date or follow-up study. Further evidence on task-level use, implementation costs and measured business results would help retailers judge whether the reported benefits are achievable in other stores.
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 during the webinar.
What did Strayer say Rundoo changed at Ashmore Paint?
Strayer said the system allows the store to serve customers more quickly at checkout than its previous point-of-sale system. The report gives no checkout-time measurements.
What benefits did the Hills describe?
The Hills said AI and Rundoo help take mundane, time-consuming tasks off their plates, leaving them more time to support employees. The article does not list the specific tasks involved.
Did the report quantify productivity or financial gains?
No. It includes retailer accounts but provides no figures for productivity, costs, sales, customer satisfaction or return on investment.
Who hosted the webinar?
The webinar was hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo, whose CEO Nick Hershey also joined the discussion.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
