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Do it Best Group received the 2026 Mark Michael and NEI Innovative Company of the Year Award for technology initiatives aimed at independent hardware retailers. The company highlighted an AI tool, expanded retail analytics and mobile apps, including one scheduled for early 2027.
Do it Best Group received the 2026 Mark Michael and NEI Innovative Company of the Year Award from the Northeast Indiana Innovation Community, which recognized the Fort Wayne-based company for technology initiatives aimed at supporting independent hardware retailers. The award was presented through the organization’s annual Innovation@Work awards.
The company’s recognized initiatives include artificial intelligence tools, retail data analysis and mobile applications. One is HardwareIQ, an internally developed AI-powered tool intended to help store associates find product and project information. Do it Best Group previewed HardwareIQ at its Fall Market in Indianapolis; the source report does not describe a broader release or provide performance results.
The company has also expanded Retail Pulse, a platform that gives Do it Best and True Value members with compatible point-of-sale systems information about store performance. Capabilities introduced at the Fall Market include SKU-level analysis of pricing, assortments, margins and inventory productivity, according to the report.
A loyalty and e-commerce mobile app is in development, with a launch 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 offer similar capabilities to independently branded stores. At the 2026 Fall Market, the company also introduced an Innovation Hub where members could see demonstrations and talk with company representatives about implementation.
Technology for Independent Retailers
The award puts attention on the role technology may play in helping independent hardware stores compete and manage daily operations. Tools for store associates, product-level performance analysis and digital shopping could help member retailers make decisions about inventory, pricing and customer service. Those are intended uses described by the company; the source report does not provide measured results showing their effect on sales, costs or store performance.
For retailers, the practical question is whether these tools fit existing systems and can be adopted without adding undue complexity. Retail Pulse is described as requiring a compatible point-of-sale system, while the Innovation Hub gave members a place to discuss implementation with Do it Best Group representatives. The planned apps could add customer-facing services, but their availability and final functions remain subject to development.
The company says its technology program is meant to support members while preserving local ownership and store identities. That approach matters to independent operators who may want digital capabilities without replacing their own branding or customer relationships. The award recognizes the company’s innovation efforts, not proof that every member has adopted the tools or benefited from them.
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Tools Presented at Fall Market
The Northeast Indiana Innovation Community’s annual Innovation@Work awards recognize companies using innovation to support business growth in northeast Indiana, according to the source report. Do it Best Group is based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and serves independent hardware retailers through its member network, which includes Do it Best and True Value stores.
The report connects the award to several related developments presented at the company’s 2026 Fall Market in Indianapolis. HardwareIQ was previewed there, new SKU-level functions were introduced for Retail Pulse, and members could visit the Innovation Hub for demonstrations and implementation discussions. The planned loyalty and e-commerce app was also described as under development, rather than as a product already available to customers.
The source material does not give the award’s selection criteria, the number of nominees, or details about the other award recipients. It also does not state whether the technology initiatives were the sole basis for the recognition or how the award committee assessed their impact.
“Technology creates value when it helps a member serve a customer, make a better decision or capture a sale.”
— Ken Widner, chief information officer at Do it Best Group
App Launch and Adoption Details
The source report does not provide a precise release date for the loyalty and e-commerce app beyond early 2027, nor does it confirm that the planned features are final. It gives no launch timetable for the separate Best Rewards app. HardwareIQ was previewed at the Fall Market, but the report does not say when it will become generally available, which members can access it, or what its costs and technical requirements will be.
It is also unclear how many retailers currently use Retail Pulse, how many have compatible point-of-sale systems, or whether the newly introduced SKU-level analysis is available to all eligible members. No usage figures, independent evaluation or quantified business outcomes are provided. The award confirms recognition by the Northeast Indiana Innovation Community; it does not by itself establish the tools’ effectiveness or adoption across the membership.
Planned Mobile App Rollout
The next stated milestone is the loyalty and e-commerce app, which Do it Best Group has scheduled for early 2027. The company has described planned functions but has not announced a specific launch day in the source material. Further details about availability, participating retailers and customer access may clarify how the app will work across member stores.
Retailers may also seek more information through the company’s Innovation Hub and its representatives, who discussed implementation at the Fall Market. No additional award-related events, product release dates for HardwareIQ, or measurable results from the technology program were included in the report.
Key Questions
What award did Do it Best Group receive?
It received the 2026 Mark Michael and NEI Innovative Company of the Year Award from the Northeast Indiana Innovation Community as part of its annual Innovation@Work awards.
Why was the company recognized?
The source report says the award recognized technology initiatives designed to support independent hardware retailers, including AI tools, retail data analysis and mobile applications.
What is HardwareIQ?
HardwareIQ is an internally developed, AI-powered tool intended to help store associates access product and project information. Do it Best Group previewed it at its 2026 Fall Market; the report does not give a general release date.
When is the loyalty and e-commerce app expected?
Do it Best Group has scheduled the app for early 2027. Planned features include product search, real-time inventory availability, rewards, purchase histories, fulfillment options and mobile payments.
Does the award confirm that the technology has improved store results?
No quantified results are given in the source report. It describes the award and the company’s intended uses for the tools, but does not provide data on sales, costs, adoption or other measured outcomes.
Source: hardwareretailing.com
