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Do it Best Group has opened a 3,000-square-foot Retail Innovation Lab in Dallas where Do it Best and True Value members will be able to test retail technology in a mock store, receive training and work with the company’s technology team on applications for their own businesses.
The lab, part of Do it Best’s more than 10,000-square-foot Dallas Tech Center, is open now, with member demonstrations, educational sessions, workshops and other programming expected to begin following the Do it Best and True Value Fall Market in Indianapolis, Sept. 24-28.
Unlike a conventional technology showroom, Do it Best says the lab is designed to change as new technologies emerge and member needs evolve. The mock store allows retailers to explore how technology works alongside merchandise and store equipment rather than viewing products in isolation.
“The goal is to give our members a hands-on environment where they’ll experience emerging retail technologies in a real-world store setting rather than simply hearing about them,” says Ken Widner, chief information officer at Do it Best Group. “We’re using the lab for demonstrations, education, experimentation, feedback sessions and collaborative workshops that help shape future technology offerings around the actual needs of our members’ stores.”
The remainder of the Tech Center includes work areas for Do it Best technology specialists and meeting spaces where members can discuss business challenges and potential technology applications with the team.
From AI to Store Systems
Epicor’s Propello retail management platform will be among the technologies demonstrated, but Do it Best says the lab will encompass a wider range of technology, including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, retail systems and integrations, and data and analytics.
The lineup will continue to change rather than remain a fixed collection of products.
The lab will also be used to examine how those technologies can improve store operations, employee productivity and the customer experience.
Member participation will extend beyond demonstrations. Retailers will be able to take part in focus groups, roundtables and technology roadmap discussions, providing feedback Do it Best can use to evaluate technology and determine future priorities.
Free Access, With Customized Options
Do it Best plans to offer several ways for members to use the lab. Some visits will be built around scheduled demonstrations, workshops, focus groups and educational sessions. Retailers will also be able to arrange customized visits focused on their own operations and technology interests.
There will be no charge for members participating in the lab’s core offerings, including general demonstrations, education and collaborative sessions. Do it Best also plans fee-based options for retailers seeking mo
re individualized technology solutions based on their goals, needs and operating environment.
Those customized services can include evaluating a retailer’s business challenges, recommending potential solutions and developing a technology roadmap.
Members will get their first broader look at the initiative this month. Do it Best says technology and innovation will also have a significant presence at its Fall Market. The Market will include some of the technologies and capabilities associated with the company’s innovation strategy, although it will not reproduce the full Dallas lab experience.
“Our members don’t need technology for technology’s sake,” Widner says. “They need to understand what is useful, what is practical for their business and where an investment can make a meaningful difference.”
