Do it Best Group has created a new Retail Innovation Lab designed to move emerging technology out of the presentation room and into the hands of its member-owners.

Based at its Dallas Tech Center, the lab provides a real-world store environment where Do it Best Group store owners can experience new retail technologies, learn how they can apply them to their businesses, and work directly with technology experts to influence the development of future solutions. The initiative is the latest investment by Do it Best Group in practical innovations designed to help its members grow sales, improve profitability, simplify operations, and compete more effectively.

“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,” said 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 Retail Innovation Lab was designed around a straightforward principle. Technology creates the greatest value when retailers understand it, have confidence using it, and can clearly see how it solves a business problem.

Rather than operating as a traditional technology showroom, the lab functions as an interactive learning, experimentation, and advisory environment built specifically for Do it Best members and their businesses.

“Members can interact directly with technologies being developed and deployed across the Do it Best Group ecosystem, see how they perform in a working retail environment, and receive hands-on training,” added Widner. “Just as importantly, they will have an opportunity to provide immediate feedback about how those technologies work in the realities of their store.”

That dialogue will give Do it Best Group another way to ensure new technology is developed around practical member needs, from improving productivity and decision-making to simplifying everyday store operations and creating opportunities for profitable growth.

The Retail Innovation Lab also serves as a learning center focused on helping store owners navigate a rapidly changing technology landscape.

Educational sessions address subjects including artificial intelligence adoption, cybersecurity, emerging retail technology trends, and best practices for integrating new tools into store operations. Do it Best Group also offers product-specific workshops, training, and demonstrations around technology solutions for its members, including platforms such as Epicor Propello.

“Our members don’t need technology for technology’s sake,” Widner said. “They need to understand what is useful, what is practical for their business, and where an investment can make a meaningful difference. We want this to be a place where they can learn, ask questions, experiment, and make those decisions with confidence.”

A central role of the lab is bringing retailers directly into the innovation process. Additional space is dedicated for retailer roundtables, focus groups, technology roadmap discussions, and collaborative workshops. Those sessions allow members to identify business challenges, exchange ideas with their peers, and help establish priorities for future technology development.

The approach reflects a broader Do it Best Group strategy of developing technology with its members rather than simply delivering technology to them. By putting member feedback closer to the development process, the company will identify opportunities faster, test ideas against real-world operating needs, and concentrate on investing in solutions capable of producing measurable business value.

For members seeking a deeper level of support, the Retail Innovation Lab also offers customized advisory engagements built around individual business goals and technology needs. These boutique sessions are intended to go beyond demonstrations. Members can explore their specific opportunities and challenges with Do it Best Group experts and leave with practical recommendations, an actionable technology roadmap, and connections to resources and services that will help them execute those plans.

The result, Widner said, is intended to be a different kind of technology experience for independent retail.

“We’ve created a place where members can experience, learn about, influence, and adopt technology with confidence, backed by people who understand independent retail,” he said. “That combination is important. The technology will continue to change quickly, but our focus will remain on helping our members determine how to use it to operate better businesses and create new opportunities for growth.”

The Retail Innovation Lab represents the latest step in Do it Best Group’s expanding technology strategy, with investments increasingly focused on transforming emerging capabilities into practical tools, expertise, and competitive advantages for its members. And by giving store owners a seat at the table as those capabilities evolve, Do it Best Group is making them active participants in shaping what independent retail looks like next.

About Do it Best Group

Headquartered in Fort Wayne, IN, the Do it Best Group is the world’s largest hardware, lumber, and building materials buying cooperative in the home improvement industry. With nearly $6 billion in annual sales, we support thousands of independently owned locations across the United States and in more than 60 countries worldwide. Partners in the company have the flexibility to operate under the Do it Best, True Value, or their own local store identities, offering a diverse range of branding options to best serve their communities. For more information, visit doitbestonline.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.