Michaels Set to Boost BOPIS Ahead of Holidays With 16,000-Employee Hiring Spree

On the heels of a Q2 beat, The Michaels Companies plans to hire over 16,000 seasonal positions across its U.S. and Canada stores and distribution centers in preparation for the 2020 holiday season. The move is expected to strengthen its buy-online, pickup in-store (BOPIS) team in order to continue to serve shoppers safely during the holiday season.

The craft retailer reported adjusted earnings per share of 30 cents on revenue of $1.15 billion, better than Wall Street’s adjusted losses per share and revenue estimates of 8 cents and $1.01 billion in its second quarter 2020. Comparable sales jumped 12%; including e-commerce growth of 353%.

“We have continued to expand and improve our digital and omnichannel capabilities to provide Makers with a more seamless shopping experience,” CEO Ashley Buchanan said in the retailer’s recent earnings call. “By taking an agile approach to developing and deploying new capabilities quickly, we are capturing sales, delivering a high level of customer satisfaction, and building on our earlier progress.”

Michaels enhanced curbside pickup to provide an even smoother contactless pickup experience in its second quarter and optimized ship from store capabilities. Buchanan said the retailer introduced product bundling for e-commerce orders to make customer purchasing easier. It also launched Michaels Pro in August to allow small business owners to purchase competitively-priced bulk supplies.

“This is part of our omnichannel strategy to attract new Makers and gain a larger share of wallet,” said Buchanan.

While Michaels neglected to provide guidance for its Q3 or Q4, Buchanan noted historically arts and crafts shoppers “tend to buy different times of the year based on whether they are making something or decorating or gifting things.”

As the retailer preps for its hiring spree, Buchanan said it doesn’t foresee any capacity issues in its Q4, regarding e-commerce fulfillment.

“At Michaels, we’re committed to helping everyone stay creative and safe. Our team members are vital to helping our Makers bring a little extra joy home during the upcoming holiday season,” said Rob Koch, EVP of Stores and Real Estate in a press release. “We are proud to employ such creative and passionate team members and are dedicated to making Michaels a fun and supportive place to work. Each holiday season, we are pleased to add additional talent to our growing team and we look forward to safely providing another exceptional holiday shopping experience to our Maker community, this year.”

Last year, Michaels hired more than 50% of seasonal in-store positions into regular roles following the holidays. The retailer will host a seasonal hiring event in U.S. stores on September 12 from 12pm – 4pm. Candidates in Canada can visit their local stores to learn more about holiday hiring opportunities.