Michaels Launches Gemini-Powered Ask Mike Shopping Assistant

Michaels, the North American arts-and-crafts retailer with more than 1,300 stores, is using generative AI to make its extensive online assortment easier to navigate. Ask Mike, built on Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, lets shoppers describe a project or occasion conversationally and receive tailored product suggestions, moving beyond conventional keyword filters. The rollout underscores how retailers are positioning AI as a tool to improve product discovery and conversion, not merely customer service.

Michaels said on July 21, 2026, that Ask Mike was live on Michaels.com across desktop, mobile web and its iOS and Android apps following an initial May release. The assistant generated nearly 75,000 conversations within weeks, with more than 60% of interactions focused on product discovery. The system moved from concept to production in six weeks. Michaels plans AI-generated product overviews and contextual prompts on product pages but disclosed no financial terms.