Ace Hardware provides AI assistance to store employees
The world's largest hardware cooperative is equipping store associates with a new artificial intelligence-based tool.
Ace Hardware has launched an AI assistant called “Hey ARMA” that is designed to provide real-time support and guidance to employees in stores nationwide. Operated through a handheld device, Hey ARMA was developed to provides associates with quick access to product knowledge, project advice and recommendations.
The solution is designed to supports associates with in-store scenarios such as product comparisons and project questions, as well as helping customers with items they may have purchased elsewhere. It is currently active in more than 2,300 Ace Hardware stores, with continued expansion planned as part of Ace's long-term strategy to enhance the in-store experience through technology.
Other examples of this strategy include Hassett Ace Hardware, which operates Ace Hardware stores in the San Francisco Bay Area, deploying a mobile app linked to the artificial intelligence-based X-Hoppers retail communications and operations platform by Wildix.
Fully integrated with the X-Hoppers platform, the app enables store managers, regional personnel and back-office staff to stay connected to frontline activity, collaborate with in-store associates and help guide execution across locations without needing to be physically present on the shop floor.
Home improvement retailers aid associates with AI
Ace is also keeping pace with two of its main rivals, Home Depot and Lowe’s, which have both been providing store associates with AI assistants for some time. Home Depot rolled out its proprietary mobile in-store app, called Sidekick, in January 2023, in addition to mobile devices it provides store associates called hdPhones.
Leveraging a cloud-enabled machine learning algorithm, the app guides associates to prioritize the highest-demand products. Sidekick also utilizes machine vision to identify which shelves associates should restock, and the location of excess product on overhead shelves.
In May 2025, Lowe’s introduced Mylow Companion, an AI-enabled employee app developed in partnership with Open AI, developer of the ChatGPT generative AI model. Purpose-built for associate sales floor devices, the app provides access to product details, project advice, and inventory information, and also speeds up the employee onboarding process.
"At Ace, we believe technology should make the customer experience better by helping our people do what they do best," said Andy Enright, senior VP, retail strategy & operations at Ace Hardware. "Hey ARMA gives our associates the information they need in the moment, so they can spend less time searching for answers and more time engaging with customers in a meaningful way."
Ace Hardware is the largest hardware cooperative in the world, serving more than 8,800 locally owned and operated stores around the globe including more than 5,200 Ace retail stores in the U.S. Ace Hardware's brands include Ace Hardware, Emery Jensen Distribution, and independent retailers worldwide. Headquartered in Oak Brook, Ill., Ace operates a network of U.S. distribution centers, along with international capabilities in Ningbo, China, and Cuautitlán Izcalli, Mexico.
