From Wikipedia, the free
encyclopedia
QVC is a West
Chester, Pennsylvania, USA,
multinational corporation, specializing in televised home shopping.
Founded in 1986 by
Joseph Segel, QVC
broadcasts in four major countries to 141 million consumers. The name is
an initialism—standing
for "Quality, Value, Convenience"—ostensibly,
the three pillars of Segel's vision for the company.
[
edit] Corporate
history
QVC was founded on July 13, 1986. The first live
broadcast took place at 7:30 ET on November 24 of that
year. Hosts Kathy Levine and Bob Bowersox featured a shower radio
for $11.49. Initially running live for 16 hours a day, the channel
extended its broadcast hours to 24 at the beginning of 1987. The
corporation set a new record for first full-year fiscal sales for a
new public company of $112 million.[citation
needed]
In a move that many considered risky, QVC acquired its top
competitor, the
Cable Value Network (CVN), in 1989, despite the fact that CVN
was about twice QVC's size. By February of 1990, many cable systems
nationwide had replaced CVN with QVC. The $380 million deal
contributed to a loss of $17 million during the next fiscal
quarter, and then to difficulties in the couple of years that
followed.[citation
needed] However, with a major piece of
its competition out of the picture, the network eventually
progressed to renewed and stronger profitability.
In 1993, QVC, Inc. formed a deal with British Sky
Broadcasting (BSkyB) to create a UK version of the channel.
QVC—The Shopping Channel first broadcast in the UK on October
1.
On February 2,
1995, Comcast
purchased a majority shareholding in QVC, Inc., taking control
of the corporation. QVC kicked off the "Quest for America's
Best—50 in 50 tour" a 50-week nationwide product search.
QVC's shopping network went online on September 9,
1996,
when the company's interactive division, iQVC, launched QVC.com,
allowing customers to purchase their items online via the
Microsoft
Network. QVC Germany launched in December of that year.
QVC launched a spinoff shopping channel, Q2, carried in major
cities such as: New York City, Philadelphia, Detroit, Boston,
Baltimore, and Dallas-Fort Worth. [1]
QVC was named "Official National Retailer for the 53rd
Presidential Inaugural" in 1997, and US operations at Studio Park
commenced on September 24.
In 1998 a class-action suit was brought against QVC. Two former
hosts of QVC sued the network, claiming that they were
discriminated by the shopping channel based on their race. The
lawsuit went on to state that QVC refused to allow non-white hosts
any permanent daytime/primetime spots which relegated them to the
overnight hours, otherwise known as the "graveyard shift." Because
of this, the non-white hosts were paid considerably less than the
white hosts.
On August 8, 2001, QVC @ the
Mall, a flagship store at the Mall of America
in Bloomington,
Minnesota, opened.
July 3, 2003 saw Comcast sell
its majority share to Liberty Media,
setting the value of the company at $14 billion.
In March 2004, the Federal
Trade Commission (FTC) charged QVC with making "deceptive
claims" about weight loss products and the United
States Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the
company[2].
This case has since been dismissed. Around the same time, QVC Inc.
bought out BSkyB's 20% holding of QVC UK, thus
becoming sole owners of the network[3].
Also that year, over 105 million units were shipped, more than
160 million phone calls were handled, 2 million new customers were
gained, and QVC had its biggest sales day ever, December 4, both
online and on air.[citation
needed]
On January 7th, 2007, QVC hosted a 20th anniversary cruise for
both customers and employees. Bob Bowersox and Pat James DeMentri
accompanied others on the cruise. There was a special broadcast
from San Juan, Puerto Rico, in which David Venable flew in for the
occasion.
Later that month, QVC partnered with AOL to launch a free, live,
streaming version of the channel on AOL Video[4]. Claims that it is the first of its kind have
been called into question by Virtual
Digital Cable, which has offered the channel online on a
subscription basis[5].
QVC shipped its billionth package on March 22,
2007.
In the summer of 2007, QVC held an internal contest to win
$10,000, which challenged its employees gain visibility of
themselves in a t-shirt emblazoned with a "QForce" logo. Entries
included appearances on Saturday Night
Live and The Tonight
Show by Tina Fey, on behalf of
her brother, Peter Fey, a QVC employee. The
winning entry (of more than 725) was a belly-flop contest to
benefit Cure Autism Now
which was shown on internet video sites such as YouTube. The
contest generated an estimated 65 million impressions and was the
brainchild of
Jeff Charney, the Chief Marketing Officer of QVC. [6][7]
On September 23, 2007, QVC rebranded itself, changing its logo
and onair and online graphics. The rebranding was accompanied by an
advertising campaign with the tagline "iQdoU?" ("I shop QVC, do
you?") that had preceded the rebrand with "teaser" billboards in
major US cities, most notably in New
York's Times Square. On
9/23 the corner of the billboard was "torn" away to reveal the new
QVC logo and to associate the tagline/billboards with QVC. The
iQdoU campaign also included a teaser website found at iQdoU.com. [8]
[
edit] Operations
All four QVC networks run 24 hours a day, although live
programming hours vary between each region.
[
edit] QVC US
QVC's U.S. operations
are based in the Studio Park complex in West
Chester, Pennsylvania, which houses its corporate headquarters,
studio and broadcasting facilities, and distribution warehouse.
Studio Park is the former corporate offices of Commodore
Business Machines. Call center facilities are located in
Chesapeake,
Virginia, Port St.
Lucie, Florida, and San Antonio,
Texas. Additional distribution centers are situated in
Lancaster,
Pennsylvania, Suffolk,
Virginia, Florence,
South Carolina and Rocky
Mount, North Carolina, in order to ensure the fastest
possible delivery of items.
QVC U.S. also operates a series of retail stores across the
country, including one at the Mall of America
in Minnesota.
QVC broadcasts via cable and satellite TV 24 hours a day, 364
days a year (the Christmas show is pre-recorded), to 90 million
homes, and ranks as the number two television network in terms of
revenue (#1 in home shopping networks), with sales in 2006 giving a
net revenue of $7.1 billion.
[
edit] QVC UK
-
The UK arm of the company operates from two venues in the
United Kingdom.
Corporate headquarters and broadcasting facilities are located at
Marco Polo
House in Battersea, London, while call centre
and distribution facilities are situated in Knowsley,
Liverpool. Prior to 1998, these facilities were based at the
McIntyre and King facilities on Harrington Dock
also in Liverpool.
QVC UK runs two small outlet stores, one in Warrington, the other
in Shrewsbury.
QVC—The Shopping Channel broadcasts live 17 hours a day
(although the channel runs 24 hours a day), 364 days a year, to 5.4
million viewers of cable,
satellite,
and digital
terrestrial services in the UK. Satellite also relays the
channel across much of mainland Europe. Retail sales
for the year 2004 reached £265 million. Also there is a QVC
Active service that runs on cable,
satellite,
and digital
terrestrial in the UK.
[
edit] QVC Germany
QVC Deutschland GmbH, incorporated in Düsseldorf,
runs call centre operations from two sites in Bochum and
Kassel, whilst
distribution is handled from a dedicated site in Hückelhoven.
QVC Germany broadcasts live 24 hours a day, 363,5 days a year
(off-air Christmas Eve (no programme after noon) and Christmas
Day), with 33.8 million households reached. In 2004, sales of $643
million were made.
[
edit] QVC Japan
QVC Japan is based in
Makuhari, where its corporate headquarters and call center
facility are located. Distribution facilities are located in
Sakura City.
QVC Japan broadcasts live 24 hours a day (as of June
2004—previously running for 15 hours—making it the first
broadcaster in Japan to run a 24-hour live service), to 7.5 million
homes, with $416 million sales in 2004.
[
edit] Products
QVC carries a large range of products, and offers a
30-day money-back guarantee
on all of its items. Items are presented by hosts, who may be
assisted by guests—typically, people who work for the item's
manufacturer or an expert on the subject. Each item is
identified by a unique item number, allowing for easy
identification when ordering. In commonality with many of its
rivals, QVC offers one product at a reduced price for that day
only—the Today's Special Value commonly referred to as
TSV. In the US, the Today's Special Value was launched on
August 11,
1987 with a 30" long
wave necklace. When a TSV sells out, there are several "One Time
Only" items good only on certain shows the rest of the day.
QVC offers products from a wide variety of famous brands and
well-known celebrities. Joan Rivers and
Laura Geller [9] are amongst those whose products are
demonstrated on-air.
QVC's flagship brand is Diamonique, a
simulated gemstone exclusive to the company (having acquired
manufacturing facilities, proprietary technology, and trade name
rights from MSB Industries, Inc. in 1988).
QVC's most popular brand of apparel in the US is
Denim & Co; others include Dialogue, Sport Savvy,
citiknits, Quacker Factory, and
Susan Graver Style.
The most popular beauty brand on QVC in the US is Bare
Escentuals, followed by PeterThomasRoth, philosophy beauty and
Laura Geller Make-up Studio. On June 15, 1998, Models Prefer
Color Cosmetics, QVC's first exclusive color line, was introduced.
Other beauty brands include Le Mirador Skin care, smashbox
cosmetics, Joan Rivers beauty,
Peter Coppala Hair Care, Mally Beauty, Dessert Beauty, and Jonathan
Product Salon Hair Care by Jonathan
Antin
QVC usually has many types of programming in one day, but
sometimes a day has a single theme. Such 24-hour events include St.
Patrick's Day Celebration, Fashion Day, Christmas in July, Craft
Fest, Big Bonanza Silver Day, Klondike Gold Rush, Rose of Tralee,
Now You're Cooking Day, and others.
Once a year, QVC broadcasts FFANY
Shoes on Sale with designer and brand name shoes at half the
price, benefiting breast cancer research.
[
edit] Hosts
This is the list of current US QVC hosts and some hosts'
signature shows:
- Jill Bauer (You're Home with Jill)
- Sandra Bennett
- Bob Bowersox (In the Kitchen with Bob)
- Jayne Brown (The QVC Morning Show Fashion Friday)
- Rick Domeier (Home Projects with Rick & Dan)
- Sharon Faetsch (T.G.I.F.)
- Jacque
Gonzales
- Carolyn Gracie
- Dan Hughes (The QVC Morning Show and For Race Fans Only)
- Pat James DeMentri (The QVC Morning Show and The QVC Morning
Show Fashion Friday)
- Dave James (Seriously
Late on QVC)
- Shawn Killinger
- Dave King
- Lisa Mason
- Antonella Nester
- Patti Reilly (Saturday Night Beauty)
- Lisa
Robertson (Ask Lisa About Style and PM Style)
- Mary Beth Roe (Gold Rush)
- Jane Treacy (Shoe Shopping with Jane and Enjoyable
Entertaining)
- David Venable (Dining With David and T.G.I.F.)
- Dan Wheeler (Home Projects with Rick & Dan)
- Leah Williams (AM Style)
[
edit] Hosts in
Training
- Gabrielle Abiera
- Davinia Palmer
[
edit] Former Hosts
- Kathy Levine (Left QVC to work for HSN. No longer works in
television retail)
- Christa Pitts (left QVC to start her own consulting firm)
- Lena McIlwain (left QVC to start her own fashion accessory
company)
- Paul Deasy (left QVC with his wife (see below,) to go work for
HSN)
- Judy Crowell (left QVC with her husband (see above,) to go work
for HSN)
- Kim Parrish (left QVC to start her own clothing line which is
now sold on HSN)
- Mike Rowe (left QVC to
do work on various TV shows including Dirty
Jobs with Mike Rowe)
- Sheila Johnson
[
edit] Competitors
With the continued growth and popularity of home-shopping
television, more and more companies are emerging to attempt to
challenge QVC's position. In the United States, the Home Shopping
Network and ShopNBC are QVC's
primary competitors, while QVC UK competes with several other
channels, such as bid tv (and its sister
channel price-drop tv),
Ideal World,
Screenshop, and others.
[
edit] Trivia
- US home shopping
host Dave James was the
only Program Host in QVC history
to be voted into position by America during the "America's Host
Search" held in May of 2004. Dave beat out over 4,000 contestants
in the nationwide search.
- QVC launched its biggest employee event for its 20th
anniversary entitled
Qforce where an employee could win $10,000 for gaining the
widest exposure by wearing the black "Qforce" TShirt. This 20th
anniversary event also includes many other employee incentives
including "Free Fridays" and "Buzzline."
- A North Carolina
woman pleaded guilty to exploiting QVC's website and ordering merchandise without
paying for it. An estimated 1,800 items were ordered costing some
$400,000[¹].
[
edit] External
links