Michaels announced Ask Mike, its first customer-facing AI shopping assistant, on July 21, 2026, after quietly launching the tool in May (Modern Retail). Built using Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, Ask Mike answers shopper questions and responds to prompts such as "Help me plan my kid's birthday party" and "Kids' summer craft ideas," asking for details like project type, colors, materials, and budget (Modern Retail). The assistant has had 75,000 conversations since its quiet May launch (Modern Retail).
Shoppers engaging with Ask Mike convert at a rate more than double that of those using traditional search methods (Modern Retail), and 27% of interactions lead to a customer clicking a product link or adding to cart (Modern Retail). Unlike keyword-based search, Ask Mike enables shoppers to bundle core supplies and finishing touches in a single session—such as for parties or craft projects—whereas traditional search users typically seek individual items they already have in mind (Modern Retail). For commerce practitioners, the results signal that conversational AI can unlock higher engagement and larger basket sizes by moving customers seamlessly from inspiration to product discovery and purchase.
Michaels achieved this production-grade implementation in just six weeks, leveraging its existing Google Cloud infrastructure and AI-ready product catalog (Retail Dive - Technology). Other major retailers including Ulta Beauty, Macy's, and The Home Depot have similarly adopted Google Cloud's Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience, positioning conversational AI as an emerging standard interface between shoppers and brands (Modern Retail).