Hardware Retailing The Industry's Source for Insights and Information
Do it Best Group has received the 2026 Mark Michael and NEI Innovative Company of the Year Award from the Northeast Indiana Innovation Community for its development of technology designed to support independent hardware retailers.
The award was presented as part of the organization’s annual Innovation@Work awards, which recognize companies using innovation to support business growth in northeast Indiana. The Fort Wayne, Indiana-based company was recognized for initiatives that include artificial intelligence tools, retail data analysis and mobile applications.
Among those initiatives is HardwareIQ, an AI-powered tool developed internally by Do it Best Group to help store associates access product and project information. The company previewed the technology at the Do it Best and True Value Fall Market in Indianapolis.
Do it Best Group has also expanded its Retail Pulse platform, which provides store performance information to Do it Best and True Value members with compatible point-of-sale systems. New capabilities introduced at the Fall Market include SKU-level analysis of pricing, assortments, margins and inventory productivity.
The company is developing a loyalty and e-commerce mobile app scheduled for early 2027. Planned features include product searches, real-time inventory availability, rewards, purchase histories, fulfillment options and mobile payments. A separate Best Rewards app is intended to provide similar capabilities for independently branded stores.
“Technology creates value when it helps a member serve a customer, make a better decision or capture a sale,” says Ken Widner, chief information officer at Do it Best Group. “Our responsibility is to make these capabilities easier for our members to adopt, use, and scale with confidence.”
At its 2026 Fall Market, Do it Best Group also introduced an Innovation Hub where members could view technology demonstrations and speak with company representatives about implementation.
The company says its technology initiatives are intended to help member retailers improve operations while maintaining local ownership and store identities.
