The crafts retailer Michaels is launching a pilot program with Instacart for same-day delivery from 100 stores in Chicago, Dallas, and Washington D.C.
Heather Bennett, executive vice president of innovation at Michaels, said in a press release that the company is the first crafts retailer to join Instacart.
“As the largest one-stop-shop for all things arts and crafts in North America, our partnership with Instacart provides a quick and convenient way for our Makers to purchase ordinary craft supplies so they can create extraordinary projects,” she said.
Michaels is the biggest specialty provider of arts, crafts, framing, floral, and other supplies for Makers and do-it-yourself home decorators. If the pilot is successful, the company said it will launch the Instacart service at the rest of its 1,272 stores in 49 states and Canada.
Instacart offers same-day delivery and pickup services for more than 45,000 stores across more than 5,500 cities in North America. The delivery service is available to more than 85 percent of U.S. households and 70 percent of Canadian households.
“For nearly 50 years, Michaels has inspired consumers across the country with its expansive selection of arts and crafts supplies,” said Chris Rogers, vice president of retail at Instacart. “With spring holidays and summer break quickly approaching, we know consumers value the convenience of having art supplies, seasonal decor and activity kits for the kids delivered from the store to their door in as fast as an hour.”
New York-based private equity firm Apollo Management acquired Michaels for $22 per share in an all-cash $5 billion deal last month. The acquisition follows the best year Michaels has experienced since going public in 2014.
Michaels’ second-quarter earnings reported in September 2020 showed eCommerce growth of over 350 percent year on year. The escalation was fueled by the safety measures during the pandemic that led to the retailer stepping up omnichannel functions and curbside pickup.
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