Tech Levels the Playing Field for Hardware Retailers
Carl Hildebrandt, Epicor’s vice president of product management, outlines why mobile functionality, AI integration and cloud systems are essential for independent hardware retailers looking to compete with big-box rivals.
As independent hardware retailers navigate a changing marketplace, technology is playing an increasingly central role in how they operate, compete and serve their customers. To better understand what’s ahead, Hardware Connection spoke with Carl Hildebrandt, Epicor’s vice president of product management, who shared insights on emerging tools and common operational challenges, discussing how technology can give independents an edge against larger competitors.
Hildebrandt oversees Epicor’s retail product portfolio, the company’s global payments solution, hardware strategy and a suite of cross-functional tools. With more than 20 years in enterprise software and customer engagement, he focuses on practical innovation that helps independent hardware dealers work smarter: speeding up checkout, tightening inventory accuracy, streamlining vendor connections and protecting data and payments. He works directly with store owners and buying groups to turn everyday challenges at the counter, in the aisles and out in the yard into tools that are straightforward to use and proven to deliver results.
Here’s what he had to say when Hardware Connection caught up with him recently.
What emerging technologies should hardware retailers pay attention to in the next one to three years?
There are still tremendous opportunities and potential for hardware retailers to transform their businesses with technology. The first is in mobile technology. According to the Retail Systems Research benchmark report “Using Employee-Empowering Retail Technology to Create Exceptional Customer Experience,” 93 percent of the 262 qualified respondents acknowledged mobility provided either some value or high value, yet only 35 percent indicated they had implemented and were satisfied with mobility solutions.
Further, AI will become increasingly embedded into mobile workflows, enabling employees to make smarter decisions on the go and respond to customer needs in real time. Whether it’s accessing predictive insights, automating routine tasks or surfacing relevant data through voice or chat interfaces, mobile AI integration will elevate the customer experience by making every interaction faster, more personalized and more informed.
How is artificial intelligence shaping the future of retail enterprise resource planning systems?
AI is continuing to evolve and will be a fundamental, seamless function of business technology. At Epicor, we see AI being used as part of a broader technology strategy to empower workers. AI will move us to a new way of doing business with ongoing decision making, deeper visibility into ERP data and unlocking growth using supply chain signals.
Are there any upcoming innovations in point-of-sale systems that hardware retailers should watch for?
Retailers will likely soon see new ways of interacting with their retail management solutions through voice or natural language AI. These capabilities are targeted at augmenting employee skills. For example, a clerk may ask their RMS through voice AI to identify the best-matched product in-store and recommend complementary items to help customers complete their projects in fewer trips.
Ultimately, what retailers should look for are ways to help their team be more productive and create a superior customer experience.
What are the most common operational inefficiencies you see in hardware retail, and how can technology help resolve them?
Operational efficiencies can be related to processes, tools and people and can span store operations from point of sale and returns to purchasing and inventory management.
Starting with point of sale and returns, many things can contribute to inefficiencies:
It takes too much time for staff to look up items.
Staff can’t park sales when a customer forgot an item and needs to go find it, then come back and check out.
To validate a return, staff must wade through individual customer receipts for the items and lack the ability to search by transaction number, customer or credit card.
In the middle of a POS transaction, you lose internet and must suspend transactions.
These are all examples of inefficiencies, many of which also negatively affect the customer experience. There are modern RMS available with features like quick find, advanced search, parked sales, return validation, transaction reversals, offline point of sale and more that directly address these types of scenarios, streamlining and simplifying operations to significantly increase efficiency.
Another source of inefficiencies is related to purchasing and inventory management. Physical inventory counts are a great example, which for some is still an very time-consuming manual process. It doesn’t have to be, because with RMS technology, retailers can use mobile applications and do physical inventory counts and make adjustments while their store is open for normal operations. An RMS can also support suggested orders, track committed quantities, order points and seasonal order points and so much more that bring efficiencies to everyday purchasing and inventory activities.
These are just a few examples, and mobile solutions have transformed the physical location where many activities can be done, significantly increasing efficiencies. From product information lookup to receiving and purchase order management to alerts and overrides and even point of sale, mobile functionality can be a game changer.
How can an ERP solution help streamline communication with suppliers and vendors?
ERP solutions offer a powerful combination of integration and automation that transforms how retailers communicate and collaborate with suppliers and vendors. Beyond isolated features, the real value lies in how these systems unify pricing, product management, purchasing and receiving into a seamless workflow.
For example, direct vendor communications and [electronic data interchange] capabilities allow retailers to automate price changes, suggest promotions, send and receive purchase orders, manage drop shipments and maintain product and catalog data—all without manual intervention. This tight integration reduces errors, speeds up transactions and ensures data consistency across systems.
Ultimately, ERP solutions act as a central nervous system for vendor communication, enabling faster decisions, fewer manual steps and stronger supplier relationships.
How can technology give independent retailers an edge as they compete with big-box stores?
Technology helps level the playing field by democratizing the tools traditionally reserved for big-box operations. This empowers independent retailers to out-service the competition, offering exceptional, personalized consumer experiences that build loyalty and drive repeat business.
Great customer experiences start with accessible and knowledgeable employees who can quickly and accurately answer product and availability questions. The mobile functionality within an RMS can be instrumental in empowering employees with this kind of information at their fingertips.
Having a POS solution that requires minimal training with an intuitive interface allows less-experienced staff to confidently handle sales transactions and frees up your most experienced staff to be available and accessible on the floor.
What are some tech lessons from other industries that the retail hardware industry should be aware of?
The hardware industry hasn’t embraced mobile functionality as much as some other retail industry segments, like lawn and garden. Mobile functionality can bring a wealth of value to hardware retailers, from enhancing employee productivity to increasing sales to improving the customer experience.
For example, with Propello’s mobile POS [mPOS], a clerk can assist and check out the consumer in-aisle and turn the “point of sale” into a “point of service”—meeting the customer where they are.
Another area where hardware retailers can lag is in embracing cloud RMS. The benefits of the cloud are well documented at this point. Cloud solutions can be a powerful asset in reducing technology maintenance costs while also creating a much more scalable infrastructure for growth.
