Quick Facts

• Michaels built Ask Mike from concept to production in six weeks using Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience.
• The assistant logged nearly 75,000 conversations since its May 2026 release, with more than 60% focused on product discovery.
• Michaels plans to expand Ask Mike with AI-driven product overviews and contextual prompts on product detail pages.

Michaels officially announced the launch of Ask Mike, an AI-powered shopping assistant, on July 21, 2026. The tool went live on the retailer’s website and mobile apps in May and is built on Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience platform.

Ask Mike lets shoppers describe a project or occasion in plain language and receive product recommendations in return. A customer might type “I need fabric for DIY curtains” and get relevant results without navigating category filters or knowing exact product names.

Since its May release, the assistant has generated nearly 75,000 customer conversations covering everything from party planning to crafting projects. More than 60% of those interactions centered on product discovery across Michaels’ online assortment.

“Ask Mike is more than just a search tool; it’s a personalized creative partner for our customers so they can find what they need to bring their unique visions to life,” said Heather Bennett, President and Chief Customer Officer at Michaels.

Google Cloud’s Global Director of Retail Industry Strategy and Solutions, Paul Tepfenhart, said the tool moved from concept to production-grade AI in just six weeks. “Michaels is showing what it looks like to put AI at the center of the shopping experience, not just as a service tool, but as a true driver of discovery and conversion,” Tepfenhart said.

The speed of deployment reflects Michaels’ broader operating posture under CEO David Boone, who joined in February 2025. Owned by Apollo Global Management and free from public market scrutiny, Michaels can act quickly on strategic bets. Boone has described the private equity structure as an advantage: decisions that might require lengthy Wall Street justification can move faster behind closed doors.

Ask Mike is available on desktop, the Michaels mobile site, and the iOS and Android apps. The retailer operates more than 1,300 stores across 49 states and Canada.

Michaels is one of several major retailers building AI shopping assistants on Google’s Gemini platform. Ulta Beauty and Macy’s have also deployed Gemini-based tools. Lowe’s took a different path, partnering with OpenAI to build its Mylow AI adviser. In March 2026, Gap became the first major fashion company to enable direct checkout inside Google Gemini, spanning Old Navy, Banana Republic, and Athleta.

The commercial case for AI assistants in retail is building. During testing, users of Macy’s AI assistant spent approximately 4.75 times more than non-users. Research from Bain’s Consumer Lab found that between 30% and 45% of American consumers now turn to AI agents such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini for product research and comparisons.

Conversational AI also produces richer data than keyword search. A typed query might reveal only a few words, while a full conversational exchange captures the project, occasion, and context behind the purchase intent.

Michaels plans to build on Ask Mike with AI-driven product overviews and prompts embedded directly into product detail pages. The company sees the assistant as a tool that enters the shopping journey earlier, before a customer has formed a specific purchase decision.

The launch comes as Michaels pursues a broader growth strategy following the collapse of competitors Party City and Joann. The retailer added in-store concepts including The Party Shop and the Knit and Sew Shop in 2025 and expanded its party product assortment in May 2026 to capture share from those shuttered chains.

Read more: Michaels launches AI shopping assistant