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Two independent retailers told a North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo webinar that AI tools are helping automate routine work and streamline operations. The examples shared were retailer experiences, not measured evidence of industry-wide productivity gains or financial returns.
Ashmore Paint and B-Town Plumbing and Electrical Supply described how they use Rundoo’s AI assistant to automate routine work and streamline operations during a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo. The retailers said the tools can free staff to spend more time supporting employees and customers, offering examples of how independent businesses are applying AI to compete with larger 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 webinar. The discussion focused on using AI and the Rundoo platform for everyday business tasks and operational decisions. The source report did not specify which individual workflows, beyond the checkout experience Strayer described, were automated or how much time the changes saved.
Strayer said Rundoo allows Ashmore Paint to serve customers more quickly during checkout than its previous point-of-sale system. He framed that improvement as part of a broader effort to compete with big-box retailers, alongside buying-group arrangements that help independents purchase merchandise at competitive prices. The report provides no checkout-time measurements or price comparisons.
Jason Hill said the system takes mundane, time-consuming tasks off the owners’ plates and gives them more time to support staff. He described the change as making the business run more seamlessly. Those comments reflect the retailers’ experiences; the article did not provide independent performance data, cost information or a comparison with retailers not using AI.
Routine Work and Customer Service
The retailers’ examples point to a practical use for AI in small businesses: reducing routine administrative work so owners and employees can focus on customer-facing service. For independent hardware and supply stores with fewer staff and different resources from national chains, even improvements to checkout or day-to-day workflows may help make service more responsive.
That potential should not be confused with proven financial impact. The webinar report offers firsthand accounts, not quantified results. It does not establish whether Rundoo increased sales, lowered costs, improved accuracy or produced a return on investment. For retailers considering similar systems, the accounts are examples to evaluate against their own staffing needs, costs and workflows.
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How Independents Apply the Tools
The report, published by Hardware Retailing on November 2, 2026, covered a webinar hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo. Rundoo is the technology provider whose AI assistant the retailers discussed; its CEO, Nick Hershey, participated in the conversation.
Hershey urged retailers to try AI across business workflows, arguing that technology could handle nonservice tasks and leave businesses more time to help customers. That is his view of AI’s potential, not a verified finding that every workflow can be automated or that every retailer will see the same results. The source article directs readers to the full webinar but does not provide additional usage data.
“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 Beyond Retailer Accounts
The report does not quantify time saved, changes in sales, operating costs or customer satisfaction. It also does not detail the system’s price, implementation requirements, the specific AI features used for each task, or how the retailers evaluate accuracy and errors. Those gaps mean the examples cannot establish how the tools would perform in other independent stores.
It is also unclear whether the retailers use Rundoo’s AI assistant for customer-facing interactions, inventory decisions or other specific workflows. The article describes routine-task automation broadly and identifies a faster checkout experience at Ashmore Paint, but gives no further technical or operational detail.
Further Details in the Webinar
The source report points readers to the full webinar conversation for more information about how the retailers use the platform. No rollout schedule, additional retailer deployments or new performance data were announced in the report. The next useful evidence would be more specific workflow descriptions and measured outcomes from the businesses using the tools.
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 technology did they discuss?
They discussed Rundoo’s AI assistant and its role in automating everyday tasks and streamlining business operations.
What improvement did Ashmore Paint report?
Strayer said Rundoo lets the store serve customers more quickly during checkout than its previous point-of-sale system. The report gave no timing measurements.
Did the report show measurable productivity or financial gains?
No. It included retailer accounts but did not provide quantified productivity, sales, cost or return-on-investment data.
Where can readers learn more about the retailers’ use of AI?
Hardware Retailing’s report directs readers to the full webinar conversation hosted by the North American Hardware and Paint Association and Rundoo.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
