Arts and crafts retailer Michaels is leaning into a growing consumer desire for tactile, offline experiences this holiday season with the introduction of a new product designed to encourage hands-on creativity. The company has announced the rollout of its "Countdown to Craftsmas" Advent calendar, a festive offering that arrives alongside the retailer’s early Black Friday promotional events.
The initiative is part of a broader push by Michaels to capture holiday shoppers who are actively seeking alternatives to digital consumption during the winter months. By offering daily creative projects, the company hopes to provide families and individuals with meaningful, unplugged activities that foster connection and artistic expression.
Tapping Into the Demand for Screen-Free Holidays
Taking a direct cue from modern consumer sentiment, Michaels developed its new Advent calendar for individuals and families seeking a deliberate break from technology over the holidays. The calendar features 25 days of unique crafting projects designed to be accessible to people of all skill levels, ensuring that beginners and experienced crafters alike can participate. To make the crafting process seamless, each day’s project includes integrated QR codes that link directly to step-by-step video tutorials and guidance.
To add an element of surprise and excitement to the seasonal offering, Michaels has incorporated a sweepstakes-style incentive into the rollout. Specifically, one Advent calendar hidden within each Michaels retail store across the country includes a $100 gift card. Furthermore, one fortunate shopper nationwide will win a grand prize of $10,000.
The product launch is backed by data collected from the retailer’s target demographic. According to an October survey conducted by Michaels in partnership with Morning Consult, which surveyed over 2,500 U.S. adults, an overwhelming 80% of parents and 73% of Generation Z consumers expressed a strong desire for screen-free, hands-on holiday activities.
"The best part of the holidays is the time spent creating together, and we want to make that easy for everyone," Heather Bennett, chief customer officer at Michaels, said in a statement regarding the new product launch. "Countdown to Craftsmas gives families a simple project to make together every day, and with our biggest deals of the year, it’s more affordable than ever to make something meaningful for the people you love."
A Broader Transformation at Michaels
The release of the "Countdown to Craftsmas" calendar arrives during a period of extensive strategic transformation for Michaels, as the retailer continuously updates its customer engagement methods, loyalty offerings, and physical store layouts to better serve modern crafters.
Earlier this year, the crafts retailer revamped its customer loyalty program to deliver enhanced perks and rewards for shoppers in its lower membership tiers, while simultaneously introducing an exclusive third tier tailored specifically for top-spending customers who invest $1,000 or more annually. This overhaul was designed to strengthen relationships with frequent buyers and reward dedicated hobbyists.
Months after updating the loyalty structure, the company expanded its digital capabilities by launching an artificial intelligence shopping assistant known as Ask Mike. The AI tool is engineered to analyze customer search queries in real-time, using the data to generate personalized crafting advice, project ideas, and specific product recommendations to streamline the shopping experience both online and in-store.
In tandem with its digital updates, Michaels has focused heavily on reshaping its brick-and-mortar retail footprint to create more immersive, community-oriented shopping environments. After initially testing experiential store formats in Texas and Ohio, the company debuted a third experiential store concept in Arkansas. This redesigned location features specialized zones, including a dedicated Knit & Sew Shop, a Pinterest Trend Bar showcasing products inspired by popular online creative trends, a combined floral and greenery department, and an updated Welcome Center equipped with self-checkout stations for rewards members.
Building on the success of these experiential layouts, the retailer announced this fall that it has significantly expanded its Knit & Sew Shop format to over 1,200 stores nationwide. This major inventory expansion integrated more than 1,600 new products spanning fabric, yarn, sewing supplies, and needlecrafts, making fabric available at nearly 90% of all Michaels store locations across the country. Through these combined physical and digital retail strategies, Michaels continues to position itself as a central hub for hands-on creativity as the busy holiday shopping season gets underway.
