Michaels had been trying to boost its ecommerce sales for many quarters, and the pandemic pushed the team to move faster. They also provided thermometers for associates, installed Plexiglas shields at check-out, and hand sanitizer dispensers for both our customers and workers.īuchanan noted that the company saved money by making the Plexiglas shields in the stores’ ArtisTree framing departments. Measures Michaels took included limiting store hours, increasing cleaning and sanitation, and implementing social distancing measures. Most of the company’s distribution centers remained fully functional. Michaels said it expects the rest of the stores to open by the end of the month. At the peak of the shutdowns in April, more than 900 Michaels stores out of 1,273 were closed as of June 4, fewer than 270 remained closed. While “Michaels continues to ignore, block, or delete all/most public comments regarding closure on social media.”īut there was no arguing with the shelter-in-place measures in effect in states such as California. “Employees are told to clean high traffic areas, carts, door handles and washrooms, jeopardizing the health of the employee and their families,” the petitioners wrote in mid-March. “Our research has found that three out of four makers are crafting more during this time.”Ī petition got 25,000 supporters asking Michaels to close all stores for the workers’ safety. “Our customers are telling us that crafting is an essential coping mechanism, sometimes ahead of exercise, reading books, or even being outside,” Buchanan said on the call. Craft stores in Ohio and Louisiana, among others, were allowed to remain open. Judges and police forced Hobby Lobby stores in Texas, Indiana and Wisconsin to close. Joann, Hobby Lobby and Michaels all tried to keep their stores open as “essential” in states with lockdown measures. “I am confident of Michaels’ ability to gain market share in the post-pandemic retail environment.” Are crafts “essential”? “I believe that COVID-19 has fundamentally changed the retail industry and accelerated shift in shopping behaviors with even a greater focus on e-commerce,” Buchanan said on the call. Sales for Q1 2020 were down 26.9% from Q1 2019 to just under $800 million, despite a whopping 300% increase in ecommerce sales. Michaels CEO Ashley Buchanan was the bearer of more bad news after reporting disappointing results for 2019 just ahead of the pandemic.
was hit hard by COVID-19 shutdowns of bricks-and-mortar retail. While Etsy’s e-commerce business thrived in the first quarter of 2020, Michaels Stores Inc.
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