QVC

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QVC
QVC logo 2019.svg
LaunchedNovember 24, 1986; 33 years ago (1986-11-24)[1]
Owned byQurate Retail Group
Picture format2160p UHDTV
1080i HDTV
(downscaled to letterboxed 480i for the SDTV feed)
SloganFind what you love. Love what you find.
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Broadcast areaWorldwide
Headquarters1200 Wilson Drive West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380
Sister channel(s)(see below)
Websiteqvc.com
Availability
Terrestrial
QVC terrestrial televisionx.6 on most Ion Television owned-and-operated stations, also on:
Satellite
DirecTVChannels 70, 275 and 317 (HD)
Dish NetworkChannel 137 (HD)
Cable
Available on most cable systemsChannel slots vary on each provider
IPTV
AT&T U-VerseChannel 420 (SD)
Channel 1420 (HD)
Streaming media
QVCLive Stream
Apple TV & Amazon Fire TVQVC app (all QVC networks)
RokuQVC/HSN app (all QVC & HSN networks)

QVC (standing for "Quality Value Convenience") is an American free-to-air television network, and flagship shopping channel specializing in televised home shopping that is owned by Qurate Retail Group. Founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel in West Chester, Pennsylvania, United States, QVC broadcasts to more than 350 million households in seven countries, including channels in the UK, Germany, Japan, and Italy, along with a joint venture in China with China National Radio called CNR Mall.[2]

History[edit]

QVC was founded on June 13, 1986, by Joseph Segel. One of the first brands to sign a two-year deal with QVC for its products was Sears.[3] The corporation later set a new record for first full-year fiscal sales for a new public company of $112 million.[4]

The channel was launched on November 24, 1986, initially broadcasting live from 7:30 p.m. until midnight ET each weekday and 24 hours a day each weekend, the channel extended its live programming to 24/7/364 in January 1987. In 1989, QVC acquired its top competitor, the Cable Value Network (CVN), founded by Irwin L. Jacobs. The $380 million deal contributed to a loss of $17 million during the next fiscal quarter, and then led to difficulties in the couple of years that followed.[5]

On February 2, 1995, Comcast purchased a majority shareholder stake in QVC, Inc., taking control of the corporation. That year, QVC kicked off the "Quest for America's Best: 50 in 50 Tour," a 50-week nationwide product search. Q2, a separate channel for more upscale shoppers, was founded in 1994 but abandoned in 1996.[6] QVC.com was started in 1996 as iQVC.[7]

In 1998, two former hosts filed a class-action lawsuit against QVC, claiming that they were discriminated against 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.[8][9]

In July 2003, Comcast sold its majority share to Liberty Media. On September 23, 2007, QVC U.S. rebranded itself, changing its logo on-air and online. The rebranding was accompanied by an advertising campaign with the tagline "iQdoU?" ("I shop QVC, do you?") that had preceded the rebrand with billboards in major U.S. cities. The iQdoU? campaign also included a "teaser" website.[10][11]

QVC was the first shopping network to offer a native high-definition simulcast channel in May 2009. Formery, the 4:3 cut for its standard definition feed in a 16:9 presentation was made to the right of the screen rather than on both sides of the 4:3 frame, allowing the network to place its graphics fully to the left and lower portions of the screen to maximize camera presentation space. Eventually, the standard definition feed was converted to a downscaled letterboxing of the 16:9 HD channel at the provider's headend level.

On September 30, 2010, at 11 p.m., QVC began broadcasting in Italy, both on satellite and through digital terrestrial television. In 2012, QVC partnered with China National Radio to take over operations of its home shopping network and associated internet e-commerce site. Its initial reach was reported to be 35 million households.[citation needed]

In 2013, QVC partnered with Ion Media Networks to bring its programming to broadcast television, through Ion Television.[citation needed] QVC began to be carried as the fifth digital subchannel on most Ion Television owned-and-operated stations beginning on August 5, 2013; due to technical limitations caused by the number of subchannels Ion requires its stations to carry, QVC is carried in a squeezed full-screen 4:3 format and is transmitted in standard definition. The channel is also broadcast on digital subchannels of low-powered television stations in selected areas.[citation needed] The broadcast service is branded as "QVC Over the Air", with an accompanying on-screen bug appearing on the lower right corner of the screen during the network's programming.

In August 2015, QVC acquired the online retailer Zulily for $2.4 billion.[12][13]

On July 6, 2017, QVC's parent company, Liberty Interactive, announced its intention to purchase the remaining 62% of stock it didn't already own of HSN, the rival home shopping channel. The all-stock deal is valued at $2.1 billion ($40.36 a share).[14][15][16] In 2018, Liberty Interactive rebranded itself as Qurate Retail Group, trading under the new NASDAQ tickers QRTEA and QRTEB, with Mike George remaining as President and CEO.[17]

In 2018, Qurate named Leslie Ferraro as President of their QVC and HSN units. Ferraro concluded her 17-year run at The Walt Disney Company where she most recently served as co-chair of Disney Consumer Products and Interactive Media and president of Disney Consumer Products and reported to work at Qurate on September 16.[18] On February 6, 2019, QVC again rebranded itself, the new logo with a square shape intended to resemble a computer or a phone screen emphasizing its digital and mobile platforms. The lever of the Q, Susan Ripke, QVC’s vice president of brand strategy says, is supposed to symbolize an open door.[19] On Monday, October 7, 2019, QVC ceased its 24/7 live broadcasting model in favor of airing nineteen hours of live and five hours of repeated programming daily.[20] On November 22, 2019, QVC expanded to twenty hours of live programming daily.

As early as March 16, 2020, QVC saw changes to their operations due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, with on-air product representatives appearing via Skype from around the world, calling in to live broadcasts with program hosts and models practicing social distancing. QVC remained live on-air 20 hours a day, with QVC2 cutting back to one live hour per day. Employees not essential to the West Chester, Pennsylvania live broadcast shifted to remote work, while all fulfillment centers in Pennsylvania, Virginia, California, and North and South Carolina remained operational with the introduction of health and safety measures and enhanced sanitation practices. [21]

QVC2[edit]

QVC2
QVC2 logo 2019.svg
LaunchedAugust 22, 2013; 6 years ago (2013-08-22)
Sloganmore of what you love
Formerly calledQVC Plus
(2013-2017)
Sister channel(s)(see above)
Websiteqvc.com
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV76, 79 and 315
Dish Network255
Streaming media
Live Stream

On August 22, 2013, QVC launched a timeshift channel called QVC Plus (the first such channel operated by a home shopping network), made available initially on cable provider Bright House Networks and satellite provider DirecTV, which broadcasts the channel's programming on a three-hour tape delay.[22] On April 1, 2017, QVC Plus was rebranded as QVC2 as a destination for more live programming, now broadcasting live 12 hours a day, Monday through Friday from noon to midnight ET, and Saturdays and Sundays from 10am-10pm ET.[23]

QVC3[edit]

QVC3
QVC logo
LaunchedOctober 31, 2016; 3 years ago (2016-10-31)
Formerly calledBeauty iQ
(2016-2019)
Sister channel(s)(see above)
Websiteqvc.com
Availability
Satellite
DirecTV318
Dish Network73
Cable
Available on some cable systemsConsult your local cable provider for channel availability
Streaming media
[1]

On October 25, 2016, QVC announced the creation of Beauty iQ, a female-oriented television channel based entirely on beauty products. The network was launched on both DirecTV and Dish Network on October 31, 2016. Beauty iQ aired live programming Monday through Friday, 8pm- Midnight ET. Beauty iQ ceased live programming on March 13, 2019.

On April 1, 2019, Beauty iQ's broadcast channel was rebranded as QVC3, airing rebroadcasts of previously recorded QVC and QVC2 programming 24 hours a day. Beginning April 23, 2019, QVC introduced Beauty iQ as their first digital-only channel, in order to better target its younger audience.[24]

Operations[edit]

All of QVC's operations (U.S., UK, Germany, Japan, Italy, and China) run 24 hours a day, although live programming hours vary between each region.

Headquarters[edit]

QVC has its headquarters in West Chester, Pennsylvania by U.S. Route 202.[25][26] The $100 million QVC Studio Park complex, located on an 80 acres (32 ha) plot of land, opened in 1997.[27]

QVC U.S.[edit]

QVC Outlet store in Frazer, Pennsylvania

QVC's U.S. operations are based in the Studio Park complex, which houses its corporate headquarters, studio and broadcasting facilities. Studio Park is the former corporate offices of Commodore Business Machines. Call center facilities are located in Chesapeake, Virginia, and San Antonio, Texas. QVC's distribution centers are located in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, Suffolk, Virginia, Florence, South Carolina, Rocky Mount, North Carolina and Ontario, California. Its 2013 sales were worth $5.84 billion.[28]

QVC U.S. also operates a retail store at their Studio Park complex, and two outlet stores in Lancaster, Pennsylvania and Frazer, Pennsylvania.[29]

QVC broadcasts live in the United States 24/7, 364 days a year to more than 100 million households, and ranks as the number two television network in terms of revenue (#1 in home shopping networks), with sales in 2015 giving a net revenue of $8.7 billion. The only day on which QVC does not broadcast its usual format is Christmas, when the station runs a taped telecast of the West Chester Christmas Parade and other pre-recorded programming.[citation needed]

Every year the "QVC Presents 'FFANY Shoes on Sale'" event is broadcast in which donated designer shoes are sold at half the suggested retail price and 80% of the proceeds go to breast cancer research and education. It is organized with the Fashion Footwear Association of New York, which runs a coinciding Shoes on Sale initiative along with an awards gala.[30][31][32][33]

QVC UK[edit]

Main article: QVC (UK)

QVC UK was launched on October 1, 1993. QVC UK's headquarters and broadcasting facilities are in Chiswick Park, West London. Call centre and distribution warehouse are situated in Knowsley in Merseyside. QVC UK also runs two outlet stores, one in Warrington, the other in Shrewsbury. QVC UK also operates three channels made up mostly of rerun segments from the live channel, QVC Beauty, QVC Extra and QVC Style. The company's UK sales in 2013 were worth $660 million.[28]

QVC UK's main channel broadcasts live 364 days a year from 09:00 to 01:00. For the 8 'non-live' hours a day and on one day a year, Christmas Day, the main channel shows rerun segments from the live channel.

QVC Germany[edit]

Main article: QVC Germany

QVC Germany, incorporated in Düsseldorf, runs call centre operations from sites in Bochum and Kassel, whilst distribution is handled from a dedicated warehouse in Hückelhoven. The company's 2013 sales were worth $970 million.[28]

QVC Germany broadcasts live 17 hours a day, 363.5 days a year (the channel goes off-air on Christmas Eve (with no programming after noon) and Christmas Day). QVC has two additional channels in Germany, QVC 2 and QVC Style.

QVC Japan[edit]

QVC Japan is based in Makuhari, where its corporate headquarters and call center facility are located. Distribution facilities are in Sakura City. The company's 2013 sales were worth $1.02 billion.[28]

QVC Italy[edit]

QVC Italy was launched in October 2010.[34] QVC Italy's headquarters and broadcasting facilities are located at Brugherio, near Milan. The company's 2013 sales were worth $130 million.[28]

QVC Italy broadcasts live 17 hours a day (although the channel runs 24 hours a day), 364 days a year. The primary distribution platforms for QVC Italy are digital terrestrial television and satellite.

QVC France[edit]

In the summer of 2015, QVC launched in France.[35] Before the launch, the company said it expected to create about 200 jobs in its first two years in the country. QVC France broadcast from a studio center in suburban Paris live on weekdays from 15:00 to 23:00 and weekends from 11:00 to 23:00, online, on mobile devices and on major satellite TV, cable TV and internet TV.[36] The channel's corporate website said QVC stood for: Qualité, Valeur, Confiance, replacing convenience with (the French for) confidence.[28]

Qurate Retail Group ceased operations of QVC France on March 13, 2019, stating that "QVC France had underperformed against financial and operational expectations, in large part due to unique in-market structural challenges and market dynamics that evolved in the years following the launch of the operation." [37]

QVC/CNR (China)[edit]

QVC/CNR (China) is based in Beijing and operates both a television broadcast and associated e-commerce website cnrmall.com. The China operation is a 51/49 joint venture between state-owned China National Radio and QVC, based on the pre-existing CNR channel reaching 35 million households, with plans to grow to 195 million households that have digital cable.[38] Chinese law prohibits private control of television stations, so this is the maximum position QVC can hold in its Chinese operations. QVC/CNR broadcasts live programming 12 hours a day and then replays the previous 12-hour segment.[citation needed] The company's 2013 sales were worth $110 million.[28]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "History of QVC Inc". FundingUniverse. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  2. ^ "QVC takes to French television sets for first time". Cosmeticsbusiness.com. August 4, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  3. ^ "Sears Gets into Video Shopping". nytimes.com. November 15, 1986. Retrieved June 26, 2017.
  4. ^ About QVC, About QVC
  5. ^ "Biography". Home.comcast.net. November 2, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  6. ^ Rozansky, Michael L. (February 2, 1996). "QVC Is Making Plans To Change Its Second Channel: The Channel Had Sought To Appeal To Younger, More Affluent Shoppers; It Failed To Meet That Goal". Philly.com. Retrieved February 15, 2015.
  7. ^ Archive.org, QVC.com on 22 December 1996.
  8. ^ Sean Sexton. "Lawsuit Alleges Pattern of Racism at QVC - Direct Marketing News". Dmnews.com. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  9. ^ "QVC official denies any racism A suit contends Jack Comstock treated minorities badly. He told the jury about his criteria for hosts. - Philly.com". Articles.philly.com. June 7, 2004. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  10. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on December 1, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2007.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. ^ "Press Releases - Philadelphia Business Journal". Philadelphia.bizjournals.com. September 23, 2007. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
  12. ^ Gottfried, Miriam (August 17, 2015). "zulily Is Lost Up the Amazon With Latest Deal". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved August 18, 2015. (subscription required)
  13. ^ https://www.cnet.com/news/qvc-owner-to-buy-zulily-shopping-site-for-2-4-billion/
  14. ^ "QVC to Acquire Rival HSN for More Than $2 Billion". The Wall Street Journal. July 6, 2017.
  15. ^ "QVC buying longtime rival Home Shopping Network in deal valued at $2.1 billion". CNBC. July 6, 2017.
  16. ^ Isidore, Chris (July 6, 2017). "QVC buying rival Home Shopping Network". CNN Money. Retrieved July 6, 2017.
  17. ^ "Liberty Interactive to Change Name to Qurate Retail Group". PRNewswire. March 1, 2018. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  18. ^ Moin, David (July 30, 2019). "Leslie Ferraro Named President of Qurate's HSN and QVC Units". Women's Wear Daily. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  19. ^ Pearl, Diana (February 8, 2019). "QVC Unveils a Sleek New Redesign as the Retail Giant Doubles Down on Ecommerce". AdWeek. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  20. ^ Friedrick, Joanne (October 11, 2019). "QVC Cuts Back on Live Programming". Home Furnishings News. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  21. ^ Weaver, Caity (March 27, 2020). "QVC: Quarantine, Value, Convenience TV shopping remains an essential American service". The New York Times. Retrieved March 28, 2020.
  22. ^ QVC Launches Second Linear Channel, Multichannel News, 23 August 2013.
  23. ^ "Affiliate Distribution & marketing A Subsidiary of QVC".
  24. ^ Lacombe, Gabriella (July 30, 2019). "QVC makes Beauty iQ digital-only, launches TILI subscription box". Fashion Network. Retrieved October 31, 2019.
  25. ^ "Directions to QVC Studio Park." QVC. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  26. ^ "West Goshen township, Chester County, Pennsylvania Archived June 8, 2011, at the Wayback Machine." U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  27. ^ "Touring QVC'S Scene Of The Sale \ Entertainment and Retailing Meet in West Goshen Twp." The Philadelphia Inquirer. 17 August 1997. D01 Business. Retrieved 11 August 2010.
  28. ^ a b c d e f g "Archived copy". Archived from the original on May 18, 2015. Retrieved May 9, 2015.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  29. ^ QVC Retail Stores, QVC Retail Stores
  30. ^ "QVC presents "FFANY Shoes on Sale" 2016". jimmyfund.org. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  31. ^ "Best Foot Forward: 16th Annual QVC Presents "FFANY Shoes on Sale"". jimmyfund.org. September 22, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  32. ^ Jennie Bell (October 22, 2015). "QVC Will Broadcast Its 'FFANY Shoes on Sale' Telethon Tonight". footwearnews.com. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  33. ^ Chloe Melas (September 16, 2015). "Cheryl Burke Teams Up With QVC To Fight Breast Cancer In A Fashionable Way". hollywoodlife.com. Retrieved February 21, 2016.
  34. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on August 23, 2011. Retrieved August 22, 2011.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  35. ^ "QVC expands into France". The Retail Bulletin. August 5, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2017.
  36. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on January 30, 2016. Retrieved January 1, 2016.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  37. ^ Qurate Retail Group to Cease Operations of QVC France Effective March 13, 2019 - PR Newswire, 11 March 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  38. ^ QVC expands in China through joint venture - MarketWatch, New York, 20 March 2012. Retrieved 9 May 2015.

External links[edit]

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