Introduction

Michaels is the largest arts and crafts retailer in North America, with thousands of customers walking into stores and browsing online every day. But while their customer base was growing, the systems supporting that experience were falling short.

Customer data was spread across platforms, loyalty programs felt impersonal, and shopping journeys lacked personalization. The result was lower engagement, declining repeat visits, and missed opportunities to turn buyers into loyal customers.

Michaels partnered with CloudPrism to solve this. By implementing Salesforce Sales Cloud, we helped them centralize data, personalize experiences at scale, and improve both customer satisfaction and sales outcomes.

The Challenge

Michaels needed to overcome several retail challenges that directly impacted customer retention and sales growth.

Key problems they faced:

• Customer information was fragmented across store systems, eCommerce platforms, and support channels
• Loyalty rewards were generic and not based on actual customer behavior
• Shopping experiences were disjointed, especially online
• Sales teams lacked visibility into customer preferences or purchase history
• Data security controls were outdated and unable to support growing compliance needs

The retail team knew what was missing. They just needed the right system to bring it all together.

The Solution

CloudPrism designed and implemented a Salesforce Sales Cloud setup tailored to Michaels' retail operations. The solution focused on unifying customer profiles, personalizing rewards, streamlining support, and securing sensitive data.

1. Centralized Customer Data Across Channels

• Integrated store data, online behavior, and purchase history into a single customer view inside Salesforce
• Enabled retail and marketing teams to access consistent, up-to-date customer records
• Improved segmentation and reporting by unifying all data sources

2. Personalized Loyalty and Rewards

• Connected Salesforce to Michaels' loyalty platform and mapped rewards to real customer behavior
• Triggered personalized offers based on product categories, purchase frequency, and spend
• Increased customer retention by tailoring rewards to preferences instead of sending one-size-fits-all discounts

3. Einstein Bot for Guided Shopping and Support

• Deployed Salesforce Einstein Bot to handle customer queries around orders, returns, and product discovery
• Provided intelligent recommendations during online shopping sessions
• Reduced support load by handling frequent questions automatically and instantly

4. Multi-Factor Authentication for Customer Data Security

• Implemented Salesforce Multi-Factor Authentication to protect sensitive customer information
• Strengthened internal access policies with role-based permissions and usage alerts
• Gave Michaels full visibility into who was accessing customer data and why

What Changed

After the Salesforce solution went live, Michaels saw measurable improvements across sales, support, and customer engagement.

Key outcomes:

• Teams across retail, marketing, and support now work from the same customer record
• Offers and promotions are personalized and relevant to each shopper
• Online and in-store experiences feel more connected and consistent
• Loyalty program engagement and repeat purchases have increased
• Sensitive customer information is protected with updated access controls

The result is a retail experience that feels personal, secure, and easy to manage from both sides.

Why It Worked

This Salesforce implementation worked because it was built around Michaels' specific retail needs.

• The customer data model reflected how Michaels customers actually shop
• Rewards and communication were tied to real behaviors, not assumptions
• Security features were added without slowing down operations

By keeping the solution focused and relevant, CloudPrism helped Michaels build a CRM system that feels less like a tool and more like a driver for customer engagement and sales.

What Powered It

The transformation was built using Salesforce tools designed for scale, clarity, and execution:

• Salesforce Sales Cloud for unified CRM and lifecycle tracking
• Einstein Bot for self-service and personalized assistance
• Web integrations to track customer behavior and purchases
• Automation flows for loyalty offers and communication triggers
• Multi-Factor Authentication to protect customer records and support compliance

Each capability was selected and configured to support real retail operations, not just add features.

What Made the Difference

• Customer data became reliable and easy to access across departments
• Loyalty rewards and campaigns felt meaningful and timely
• Support became more efficient with less manual work
• Shoppers felt more understood, and conversions followed

CloudPrism helped Michaels move from fragmented processes to a single, personalized customer experience powered by Salesforce. Everything started working together and that's when the experience started working better.

If your retail operations lack unified customer data and personalized engagement, CloudPrism can help you build a CRM foundation that improves loyalty, increases conversions, and scales your business. Let's connect.