Michaels Stores innovates to keep families busy at home

‘Boredom Busters’ and live classes meet growing consumer need
Alexa Herman
Digital Marketing Intern
Retail Gets Real is sponsored by

At the start of the pandemic, many Americans scrambled to find activities to keep themselves and their families occupied while stuck at home.

Michaels Stores found many consumers were feeling anxious and overwhelmed, ranking arts and crafts as a critical activity to help them keep their sanity. The retailer launched Boredom Busters, a hub on its website that’s an engaging resource with craft videos, live classes and products for kids.

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The concept was “hugely successful,” says Steve Woodward, senior director of digital experience at Michaels. “We pulled this page together in a matter of days and almost overnight we saw a 350 percent increase with engagement.”

In this episode of Retail Gets Real, Woodward shares how Michaels redeveloped its website and accelerated both digital and in-store offerings to meet consumers’ growing need to create.

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