Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
With independent home improvement dealers being asked to make decisions faster and smarter than ever, often with less time and fewer resources, Do it Best Group is implementing Retail Pulse, a new data-driven platform that turns a dealer’s own business data into clear, actionable insight.
Retail Pulse allows Do it Best and True Value retailers to see how their store compares to a true peer group outside of broad national averages, identify opportunities in pricing, assortment and promotions and receive recommendations tailored to their specific market and customer base. With Retail Pulse, retailers can spend less time analyzing data and more time acting on it.
Do it Best president Nick Talarico sat down with Hardware Retailing to share how Retail Pulse represents a meaningful shift in how cooperatives can support independent retailers in a highly competitive environment. Do it Best Group will be sharing more about the program this week at the Do it Best and True Value 2026 Spring Market.
Hardware Retailing (HR): What problem was Do it Best Group trying to solve when Retail Pulse was developed? What gaps did you see in the way independent retailers typically use—or struggle to use—data today?
Nick Talarico (NT): When we built Retail Pulse, we were trying to solve a simple problem: our members have data, but not always the time or tools to turn it into a clear direction. Retailers can pull POS reports and track sales and margins, but they don’t have data science teams—or hours to dig through spreadsheets—and most reports only tell them what happened. The real question is: what should I do next?
What makes Retail Pulse different is that it brings more than just one store’s data to the conversation. It’s powered by insights from more than 1,000 POS datasets, and growing, along with our corporate purchase data and information shared by strategic vendor partners. That broader view shows retailers how they compare to similar stores, where they may be underperforming and where real opportunities exist. It delivers the kind of perspective large national chains rely on, without adding complexity.
At the end of the day, it’s about practical insight that drives profitable growth. We cut through the noise, our sales team brings the right information into the store and focuses on what matters most—answering a straightforward question: what should we focus on next, and how do we act on it quickly? That’s how we help our members grow and achieve their dreams.
HR: Why is now the right time to launch a platform like this?
NT: This has been in the works for quite some time. We’ve invested in this capability for several years—building the foundation, strengthening our data and refining it alongside our field teams, internal developers and experienced external retail partners. We shared our commitment to innovation in Houston two years ago and have continued developing it behind the scenes.
The timing matters because the retail environment has changed. Margins are tighter. Competition is stronger. The pace of decision-making is faster. Our dealers don’t have room for trial and error—they need clarity and confidence in the decisions they’re making every day.
Retail Pulse gives dealers clearer answers, faster, without pulling our retailers away from running their business. It also strengthens how our integrated field teams serve our members. Territory sales managers walk into store visits with sharper priorities and actionable recommendations—not just reports—so every visit and every decision counts.
HR: What type of data is Retail Pulse pulling from a retailer’s business? What operational areas will the platform focus on improving?
NT: Retail Pulse starts with a retailer’s POS data—sales, units, margins, turns, inventory levels and category performance. We also incorporate purchasing history and broader network insights to add context. Today, that gives retailers a clear picture of how they’re performing and where there are opportunities to improve.
Right now, the platform is focused on the fundamentals that drive profitable growth: pricing, inventory productivity, category performance, assortment gaps and promotional results. It helps identify where cash may be tied up, where margins can improve and where sales opportunities are being missed. These are practical, day-to-day areas that have a direct impact on the bottom line.
This isn’t a one-time launch. Bringing innovative, useful solutions to our dealers is a long-term commitment, and Retail Pulse is part of that. We’ll continue to build on it, listen to feedback from our dealers and field teams and improve it over time. The goal is simple: keep making it more valuable so it helps our retailers run stronger businesses year after year.
HR: How will the platform define peer groups?
NT: This is where Retail Pulse really separates itself. The technology behind Retail Pulse is very intentional in how peer groups are built. We’re not comparing a small-town hardware store to a 26-location chain spread across several states. Peer groups are based on real similarities—store size, market, region and overall business profile—so the comparisons are fair and meaningful.
When a dealer looks at the data and sees how they stack up, it has to feel real. It needs to pass the gut check. It needs to be relevant to their business. That’s what makes the insight far more useful. When the comparison is credible, the opportunity becomes clear—and the right action becomes much more obvious.
HR: What kinds of decisions will a retailer realistically be able to make after using Retail Pulse for a short time?
NT: Pretty quickly, our team can help dealers make smarter calls on pricing, assortments and promotions.
Retail Pulse might show that a category is priced below peers, that certain SKUs aren’t pulling their weight or that there’s an opportunity to lean into a category that’s outperforming expectations. Those are practical decisions—adjust a price, reset a section, tighten an assortment or double down where momentum is building. It brings clarity to the areas that directly impact sales and margin.
Just as important, Retail Pulse isn’t a tool we hand off and expect retailers to navigate on their own. It’s a tool our sales team uses to serve them better. Our Territory Sales Managers aren’t there to load up shelves with product—they’re there to be true partners in our dealers’ success. Instead of flipping through reports or asking, “What do you want to look at?” the conversation becomes, “Here’s what the data is telling us. Let’s walk over to this section and take a look. Here’s what we recommend we do next. Let’s get it going!” That kind of focus saves time, creates alignment and leads to better decisions.
HR: How steep is the learning curve for dealers who aren’t especially data-savvy?
NT: It’s not steep at all—and that’s by design. Retail Pulse isn’t something we hand over and expect dealers to master. It is a working tool for our field team. We bring it into the store, guide the conversation and help translate insight into action. That partnership is what makes this powerful and different.
Members and retailers don’t need to become data experts. They need clarity and support. Our Territory Sales Managers use Retail Pulse right alongside them, walking through the opportunities together and helping turn insight into action. That partnership is what makes this powerful—and what makes it different.
HR: How do you see Retail Pulse evolving as more retailers use it?
NT: The more we use it, the better it gets. Peer comparisons get stronger. Patterns become clearer. Recommendations get sharper. Over time, it becomes an even more powerful tool to help dealers win and stay ahead.
We see Retail Pulse as a living platform. As adoption grows, we’ll keep refining it and layering in more advanced capabilities, including practical AI tools that help spot trends faster and surface opportunities sooner. But we’ll always approach it the same way—technology that supports better decisions. Innovation isn’t a destination for us. It’s something we continually build, improve and put to work without asking retailers to step away from running their business. Retail Pulse is the next evolution of how we help dealers grow.
At the end of the day, this is about giving independent retailers something they can’t get anywhere else: meaningful insight based on their own performance, strengthened by the scale of our network and delivered by a partner invested in helping them win. That’s what Retail Pulse is all about.
