What Aaron Brothers, Inc. does

Aaron Brothers, Inc. is a privately-held custom framing retailer and product company founded in 1946 and headquartered in Irving, Texas. Operating under the trade name "Michaels Custom Framing," the company runs a unified e-commerce platform at michaelscustomframing.com and provides in-store custom framing services through the Michaels retail store network across the United States. The company employs 501-1,000 people and is structurally integrated with Michaels, the broader arts and crafts retail chain, using Salesforce Commerce Cloud (evidenced by Demandware URLs) as its underlying e-commerce platform.

The company's core offering is custom framing delivered through two complementary channels: a digital-first online experience (image upload, frame/mat/glass selection, ship or in-store pickup) and an in-store experience at Michaels locations staffed by personal designers offering free design assistance. The product surface has expanded well beyond single-item framing to include specialty photo prints (canvas, glass, acrylic, metal, wood), Photo Wall Tiles for gallery-style wall displays, photo gifts (books, calendars, mugs, blankets), custom mirrors, custom corkboards, a curated online art gallery, and a $29 10-minute quick framing service. It also serves business customers with tailored framing and fine art printing for corporate art installations, office decor, and awards. Partnerships with Peggy (fine art marketplace) and Fracture (glass prints) extend the catalog without internal development.

The business operates on a transaction-based revenue model across custom framing, photo products, quick framing, and art gallery sales, with promotional pricing used as a primary demand lever (e.g., 70% off custom frames, $10 off metal prints, 4-for-$100 photo wall tiles). Customer acquisition combines digital marketing (email, SEO, content), e-commerce, and the physical retail footprint of Michaels stores, which double as pickup locations. No funding rounds, M&A activity, leadership team, or revenue figures are disclosed in the available source material, leaving ownership, management, and financial profile as material data gaps.

Name

Aaron Brothers, Inc.

Legal name

Aaron Brothers, Inc.

Website

https://aaronbrothers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Aaron Brothers, Inc. operates Michaels Custom Framing, a US-based custom framing retailer offering online and in-store framing services, specialty photo prints, photo gifts, and curated art, serving individual consumers and business customers through the Michaels retail network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Irving

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Custom Framing Services: One-time custom framing services where customers select frame styles, mats, glass options, and sizes. Products include framed photos, diplomas, jerseys, posters, mirrors, and corkboards.
2. Photo Products: Sale of specialty prints (canvas, glass, acrylic, metal, wood), photo gifts (books, calendars, mugs, blankets), and photo wall tiles.
3. Quick Framing Services: 10-minute custom framing service at $29 for standard sizes, providing rapid turnaround framing option.
4. Art Gallery Sales: Sale of curated art prints from the online art gallery, including abstract and other art categories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Aaron Brothers, Inc., doing business as Michaels Custom Framing, sells custom framing services for personal items including photos, diplomas, jerseys, posters, drawings, paintings, mirrors, and corkboards, delivered through an online design-and-order platform and supported by in-store framing consultation at Michaels retail locations. The company also offers specialty photo prints on canvas, glass, acrylic, metal, and wood, photo wall tile gallery displays, photo gifts, a 10-minute quick framing service, a curated online art gallery, and B2B business framing solutions.

Product overview

Michaels Custom Framing, designed by Aaron Brothers, Inc., is a single unified e-commerce platform offering custom framing and photo products. The core offering is Custom Framing (online and in-store), supported by add-on modules including Specialty Prints (canvas, glass, acrylic, metal, wood), Photo Wall Tiles, Photo Gifts, 10-Minute Custom Framing, Art Gallery, Custom Mirrors, Custom Corkboards, and business solutions. The platform also integrates partner brands Peggy (Fine Art) and Fracture (Glass Prints) for extended offerings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Custom Framing Online and in-store custom framing service allowing customers to upload images or bring physical items for professional framing with customizable frame, mat, and glass options.
• Specialty Prints Photo printing service offering prints on various materials including canvas, glass, acrylic, metal, and wood.
• Photo Wall Tiles Framed and unframed photo wall tiles for gallery-style wall displays, available in various sizes and pricing tiers.
• Michaels Photo Gifts Personalized photo gift products including photo books, calendars, mugs, blankets, and other customizable items.
• 10-Minute Custom Framing Quick custom framing service for standard 4x6 photos with pre-set options, offering 10-minute turnaround for select items.
• Art Gallery Curated collection of abstract and other art prints available for purchase alongside framing services.
• Custom Mirrors Custom-sized framed mirrors for residential and commercial spaces.
• Custom Corkboards Custom-sized framed corkboards for notes and photos.
• In-Store Framing Services In-store custom framing consultation with Personal Designers offering free design assistance and special request handling at Michaels retail locations.
• Business Framing Solutions Tailored custom framing, fine art printing, and related solutions for business customers of all sizes.
• Peggy: Shop Fine Art Fine art shopping integration partnership allowing customers to browse and purchase fine art prints via the Peggy marketplace.
• Fracture x Michaels Glass Prints Glass photo prints partnership with FractureMe offering crisp, vibrant glass prints from favorite photos with an optional StoryGlass feature.

Quantifiable outcome

• 70% off All Custom Frames promotional pricing available
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• PeggyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPeggy is a fine art marketplace integrated into Michaels Custom Framing, allowing customers to browse and shop fine art prints. Mentioned as 'Peggy: Shop Fine Art' in the navigation and footer of the website.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• West Elm (Williams-Sonoma): Modern home furnishings retailer offering picture frames, wall décor, and curated art. Competes with Aaron Brothers' home décor and art gallery categories in the design-conscious mid-to-upper consumer segment.
• IKEA: Global home furnishings retailer offering ready-made frames, custom frame sizing services, and wall décor. Competes in the affordable framing segment with a similar in-store assembly-and-pickup model.
• The Michaels Companies (Michaels): Largest US arts, crafts, and framing retailer and Aaron Brothers' affiliated retail channel for in-store design services and pickup. Strategic retail partner rather than pure competitor, but operationally intertwined with the framing business.
• Crate & Barrel: Home furnishings retailer offering framed art, mirrors, and custom framing options. Adjacent competitor in custom framing and home décor for design-oriented consumers.
• Shutterfly: Large direct-to-consumer photo platform offering prints, photo books, cards, and personalized gifts. Competes broadly with Aaron Brothers' photo printing and photo gift categories as a mass-market incumbent.
• Hobby Lobby: Large US arts-and-crafts retail chain offering framing services, art supplies, and home décor. Overlaps with Aaron Brothers' custom framing and craft product assortment across a similar customer base.

Direct peers

• Simply Framed: Online custom frame shop selling curated frame styles, matting, and glass options via mail order. Targets the same use cases (art, photos, diplomas) as Aaron Brothers' core custom framing product.
• Artifact Uprising: Premium photo printing brand offering photo books and prints on wood, metal, and linen. Directly overlaps with Aaron Brothers' specialty prints and Photo Wall Tiles categories at the premium end of the consumer market.
• Framebridge: Direct-to-consumer custom picture framing brand offering online design and mail-in framing. Competes directly with Aaron Brothers for the same consumer custom-framing wallet, with a more design-forward and digital-first positioning.
• Fracture: Direct-to-consumer photo printing company specializing in glass, wood, and metal prints. Simultaneously a partner (Fracture x Michaels glass prints) and a competitor in the same specialty print category as Aaron Brothers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aaronbrothers
• Facebookfacebook.com/aaronbrothers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aaron-brothers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Aaron Brothers, Inc.