Specialty arts and crafts retailer Michaels announced the launch of Ask Mike, an AI-powered shopping assistant that is built with Google Cloud’s Gemini Enterprise for Customer Experience.
The tool has now been launched on the retailer’s website and streamlines the shopping experience by offering real-time, personalized creative guidance.
According to the business, the new feature transforms shopping by moving beyond traditional keyword filtering by allowing customers to describe their creative vision and receive highly curated recommendations.
The feature was designed to work on desktops, mobile, or the iOS or Android app to help shoppers quickly find the right products across the Michaels’ assortment.
Heather Bennett, president & chief customer officer at Michaels said: “In just a few weeks, Ask Mike has fueled nearly 75,000 conversations, with our community using the tool for everything from party planning to finding the right materials for their first punch-needle pillow.
Paul Tepfenhart, global director, retail industry strategy & solutions, Google Cloud, added: “Michaels has been building on Google Cloud for years, and Ask Mike is a direct result of that strong foundation—a testament to what’s possible when deep infrastructure investment meets the power of Gemini Enterprise for customer experience.”
According to the business, since its release in May, Ask Mike has led to strong engagement across the Michaels community.
Shoppers are using the new tool to assist with a wide range of creative and celebratory needs, with over 60 per cent of interactions focused on product discovery.
Moving forward, the business plans to continue expanding the capabilities of Ask Mike, including future enhancements such as AI-driven product overviews and contextual prompts integrated into product detail pages.
This move comes as multiple retailers across the US have been teaming up with online platforms to enhance the overall shopping experience with AI features.
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