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Michaels debuts next-gen stores. National chain Michaels Inc., announced the latest expansion of its new experiential store model with the opening of its third location in Rogers, Arkansas. Debuting in Easton, Ohio, and Irving, Texas, and now Rogers, the new store brings an upgraded, customer-first experience to shoppers while piloting key elements that will eventually roll out to shoppers at all stores. Among the changes are an expansion framing and photo printing services. Michaels' ready-made and custom framing is combined into a single destination elevated by warm wood tones and a modern display of molding and components. Customers will find photo services including 10-Minute Custom Framing, where shoppers can print any photo from their phone and have it framed in as little as 10 minutes for only $29, alongside same-day prints, printed on fine art paper in sizes ranging from 4x4 up to 16x20. A glass wall lets customers watch expert Framing Specialists bring projects to life in real time, while the Custom Bar introduces brand-new personalization services for the first time like embroidery, engraving, and made-to-order stickers. "Our new stores represent an exciting milestone within Michaels' broader transformation to redefine the customer journey and become a true destination for creativity and celebration," said David Boone, CEO of Michaels. "The new format reflects its customers' desire for more inspiration and hands-on, analog experiences, while providing a space for the local community to connect, create, and celebrate. Among the other changes included an updated Knit and Sew Shop, a Fine Arts area, a Floral and Greenery department, a kids area, and party shop. Michaels also announced changes to its framing departments across the chain. Michaels is refreshing its frame department with a completely revitalized, easy-to-shop layout organized by look and aesthetic. Introducing over 200 new ready-made frames, the expanded assortment lets customers browse modern, romantic, bohemian, bold, and classic options. Customers can now use an advanced online frame builder to upload their own photos or select art from an extensive gallery, customizing everything down to size, materials, matting, and glazing. Featuring immersive 3D and AR capabilities, the platform helps shoppers visualize custom pieces in real time and project them directly onto their walls by scanning a QR code with their mobile device. Michaels has also bolstered its in-store printing services. Customers can now create same-day custom canvas prints in 8x8 and 8x10 formats - starting at just $20 - turning photos into ready-to-display art in a single visit. Later this year, Michaels will also introduce a new custom 3D acrylic photo ornament, creating a personalized same-day giftable keepsake for the holidays.

Michaels launches omnichannel custom framing experience with Architectural Digest. Kevin Williams | Aug 21, 2026 The arts-and-crafts retailer introduced a digital custom framing platform featuring 3D and augmented reality visualization, allowing Michaels shoppers to begin projects online before completing purchases in stores. The Michaels Companies expanded its omnichannel offerings with a new custom framing experience. The digital-first approach for U.S. and Canadian customers includes a 3D and augmented reality (AR) frame builder for previewing and purchasing custom frames online before pieces are finished in physical stores. The launch, which also includes more than 200 new ready-made frame styles and a curated moulding collection partnership with media giant Condé Nast's Architectural Digest brand, marks the arts-and-crafts retailer's latest push to blend its ecommerce and in-store experiences around a category rooted in in-person shopping. The Michaels Companies is No. 93 in the Top 1000 Database. That database includes Digital Commerce 360's ranking of North America's largest online retailers. Michaels is also No. 575 in Digital Commerce 360's all-new AI Rankings. That set of rankings is available in the Top 1000 Pro with AI Database. How Michaels' omnichannel custom framing experience works. Nicholas Bertram, president and chief operating officer at Michaels, framed the changes as a seamless step for customers. "Framing is an art form that transforms memories and artwork into home décor, and we are making it easier and more inspiring than ever for our customers to bring their visions to life," Bertram said. "Whether shoppers are looking for a quick, trend-forward, ready-made frame or a bespoke custom piece visualized right in their living room, we are elevating every touchpoint of the framing journey." The company said customers can now use an advanced online frame builder to upload their own photos or select art from an extensive gallery, customizing everything from size and materials to matting and glazing. The framing journey will feature immersive 3D and AR capabilities, with the platform helping shoppers visualize custom pieces in real time and project them directly onto their walls by scanning a QR code with their mobile device. The retailer also noted that the omnichannel integration allows customers to start their projects online and finish them in stores. Why omnichannel options matter for Michaels. Kriszta Grenyo, chief operating officer at the marketing agency Suff Digital, specializes in web design, development and growth marketing. She told Digital Commerce 360 that tools like Michaels' frame builder are allowing its website to handle pre-sales before customers walk into physical stores, opening up new opportunities to drive sales. "The store experience can effectively begin online and do the majority of the decision-making before having to ever enter the store," she said. "By the time the customer arrives at the physical location, they have already narrowed down their choices by exploring their product visually in their home." She added that Michaels' website acts almost as a lead magnet, while qualifying the customer at the same time. "For businesses that sell highly customizable products, they are able to use the website and store work as one conversion funnel rather than competing channels," Grenyo explained. AR's role in Michaels' new framing options. Eric Turney is owner and sales and marketing director at The Monterey Company, where he oversees ecommerce and marketing. He said AR visualization matters because it closes a confidence gap for shoppers. "That is the hard part with made-to-order products," Turney assessed. "A customer may like the idea of a custom frame, patch, hat, medal or other personalized item, but they hesitate because they cannot fully picture the finished product." Turney believes that the more a retailer can show about the final result before the order is placed, the easier it can be for the customer to move forward. "For Michaels, the smart move is not just the 3D or AR frame builder," he stated. "It is the online-to-store blend." The AR-infused framing refresh is the most recent step in an ongoing push by the retailer to harness digital tools. Earlier this year, the craft giant introduced "Ask Mike," an artificial intelligence assistant (AI) developed by Google. And in 2025, Michaels introduced Michaels Digital Downloads, a subscription-based platform for creators to access hundreds of thousands of unlimited assets. Submit your data and we'll see where you fit in our next ranking update. Stay on top of the latest developments in the online retail industry. Sign up for a complimentary subscription to Digital Commerce 360 Retail News. Follow us on LinkedIn, TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), Facebook and YouTube. Be the first to know when Digital Commerce 360 publishes news content. More on This Industries Brian Warmoth | Jul 22, 2026 Kevin Williams | Mar 25, 2025 Brian Warmoth | Feb 19, 2025 Mary Meisenzahl | Nov 9, 2023 Abbas Haleem | Aug 6, 2024 Brian Warmoth | Jun 10, 2025

Michaels launches 3D digital frame builder. The retailer is harnessing 3D and AR technology to help shoppers preview frames in their spaces. What happened. Michaels has introduced a 3D digital frame builder that uses augmented reality to let shoppers preview custom picture frames in their own homes before buying. The US arts-and-crafts retailer is rolling out the tool as part of its custom framing offering, allowing customers to visualise frame styles, mats and finishes against their own walls and artwork via a smartphone or browser-based AR experience. According to Retail Dive, the feature is designed to bring the in-store custom framing consultation online, giving shoppers a way to experiment with different combinations digitally rather than relying solely on physical samples or staff guidance. Why it matters. Custom framing has traditionally been a high-friction, high-abandonment category: buyers often struggle to visualise how a frame, mat and glass combination will actually look once hung, and many simply defer the decision or skip personalisation altogether. By letting customers preview the finished product in situ, Michaels is attacking a specific point of purchase hesitation rather than adding AR as a novelty layer. For retail and CX leaders, the move is a reminder that AR's most durable business case sits in categories with high perceived risk and low returnability - furniture, décor, framing - where "try before you buy" visualisation reduces the psychological cost of a decision that's hard to undo. The renascence take. The interesting part of this launch isn't the 3D rendering itself - it's what the tool removes from the customer's mental workload. Custom framing fails not because customers dislike the product, but because they can't confidently picture the outcome - and uncertainty is a powerful driver of abandonment. Tools like this work by converting an abstract, anxiety-inducing choice into a concrete, low-risk preview, which is a textbook debiasing move in behavioural terms. The real test for Michaels isn't adoption of the AR feature itself, but whether it measurably lifts completed custom orders and reduces the back-and-forth that historically bogs down in-store framing consultations. Retailers eyeing similar tools should resist treating AR as a marketing flourish and instead map it precisely onto the moment where customers currently hesitate or walk away. This briefing was written by its Newsdesk, synthesising reporting from the outlets below. Follow the links for the original coverage. More in Retail Stay ahead of CX Get the signal, not the noise. The stories shaping customer experience - plus the Journal and Experience Loom - in your inbox.