In episode 271 of Total Retail Talks, Editor-in-Chief Joe Keenan interviews Matthew Rubin, senior vice president of business development and growth at Michaels, North America's largest specialty provider of arts, crafts, framing, floral, wall décor, and seasonal merchandise for makers and do-it-yourself home decorators. Listen in as Rubin discusses the launch of the new MichaelsPro program, and how the program serves small businesses and "makerpreneurs" that purchase in bulk from the retailer.

In addition, Rubin shares how small business owners' shopping needs have changed in recent months during the COVID-19 pandemic, why the MichaelsPro program has been designed for all customers, and details the shopping experience for the program's customers. Lastly, Rubin explains how Michaels is promoting the launch of the program, how the business can now serve B-to-B customers, and the business benefits that the company hopes to realize from its MichaelsPro initiative.

Matthew Rubin is senior vice president of corporate and business development, strategy and growth at The Michaels Companies, responsible for identification, development and implementation of strategic growth initiatives, including M&A, corporate strategy, and improving product and service offerings to Michaels' customers. Prior to joining Michaels, Matthew was an executive in Accenture Strategy's North America Retail Practice, specializing in transformational corporate strategy, cost optimization, growth planning, multichannel operations, merger synergies, retail real estate, and direct-to-consumer strategy. Matthew graduated with honors from Babson College with a Bachelor of Science degree concentrating in Entrepreneurship and Law, and earned a Master's of Business Administration degree from the University of Florida. Matthew is on the Board of Overseers for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay, an FAA licensed private pilot, and is engaged with several charities, including the Young Alumni Development Committee at Babson College.