Q Talk

[sunshine 919]

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@icezeus wrote:

HSN does not seem to be doing well at all. Perhaps that is why they have been dumping products from QVC to HSN.

QVC seems to be doing as expected.

 Zulily is definitely the star. I am not a fan of Zulily, I purchased one or two items a few years back. I don't remember being impressed, and I did not care for the wait time. This was before they were purchased by QVC or Qurate whomever owns them, so perhaps things have changed. 

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HSN was doing great a few years ago.  It is not surprising since it seems they are loosing a lot of vendors.  I use to watch HSN all the time.  Now I am watching more JTV for jewelry and Evine for clothes. I don't watch that much Q but I do go online to check out products.

[Caaareful Shopper]

@Kachina624   From Zulily I buy shoes, but only if they are a name brand I already know.  Lots of great prices (of course you have to catch when they have them at all) for Fly London, Clarks, Nine West, Alegria, Charles by Charles David, and Sofft.

Tops, sweaters, jackets, and lounge clothes. Lug, Dooney & Bourke, and Bagallini bags. Travel items like packing cubes, and Travelon.

My Ninja coffeemaker and Christmas decorations are the only household items I've purchased there.

I've been shopping Zulily since 2015.   In the beginning I had about three or four items that did not work for me at all -- all cute shoes from no-name brands, that tried to kill my feet.  Zulily credited my account, no problem.  Since those first 6 months or so till now, I've been very happy with everything I've purchased. 

[catnappurr]

I'd be interested in seeing how well ShopLC is doing.

[Kachina624]

@Caaareful Shopper   Its been since 2015 for me also.  I too learned my lesson about no-name brands but I've also discovered some great new brands like Alegria and NurseMates with which I was not familiar.

I recently received an order that included two pairs of shoes and 4 long stems of silk flowers.  There were minor things wrong with the shoes and the stems had been bent in a small circle to fit in the box.  Once bent, they're never the same again.  I specified that I didn't want anything and didn't want to return but wanted them to know that the shoe vendors were taking advantage of them.

Low and behold, within 30 minutes I got a response wherein they told me they'd credited me with the full amount of both pairs of shoes plus $15.  I was bowled over.  I guess they didn't want to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.  LOL.

[TY]

Clearly people don't want to buy home stuff like vacuums from a shopping network nor do they want jewelry and electronic anymore. I guess that leaves clothes, beauty items, and handbags. I would say that Amazon is breathing down QVC's and HSN's neck big time.

Where oh where are those millennials to bail out those tv shopping networks? I'd guess that while millennials may shop from Zulily, that doesn't translate into shopping from QVC or HSN. I think that millennials are shopping Amazon and places like T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.

[Spurt]

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@TY wrote:

Clearly people don't want to buy home stuff like vacuums from a shopping network nor do they want jewelry and electronic anymore. I guess that leaves clothes, beauty items, and handbags. I would say that Amazon is breathing down QVC's and HSN's neck big time.

Where oh where are those millennials to bail out those tv shopping networks? I'd guess that while millennials may shop from Zulily, that doesn't translate into shopping from QVC or HSN. I think that millennials are shopping Amazon and places like T.J. Maxx and Marshalls.

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@TY 

I was reading an article in one financial papers either WSJ or Bloomberg and the TJMaxx Cos/TJ's/Home Goods appeals to all age groups including millenials.  And they always mention "foot traffic" in their reports, so it's IN STORE purchases !!!

QVC would have to change their on air products to appeal to a younger demographic, but they would lose a lot of their existing customer base.....Mike George said that was one reason they purchased Zulilly in hopes of appealing to busy young moms since Zulilly has kids clothes, items for kidsand young families...and when they shopped online for Zulilly hoping to lure them to QVC, but the crossover hasn't worked from that angle, but it has worked the opposite QVC shoppers buying from Zulilly....

[stevieb]

@Spurt  Greetings to ya...  

As for Qurate and QVC, I've pretty much lost all interest in what they do or how they're doing... I see them making changes, but not sure they're the kinds of changes some of us have long been suggesting or that will make a difference. They certainly haven't made any difference in my shopping or viewing habits... Their reports, such as they are, seem to take 'spin' to a whole new level... As for Zulily, I've shopped there occasionally, but have been underwhelmed by the 'savings' and am really not a fan of the whole 'flash sale' approach. I can't compare their operation pre and post the takeover, because I didn't shop there 'before' enough to make any kind of judgment.

As far as it goes, I've virtually stopped most on-line shopping, other than very occasionally and even then it's usually for something that is a 'staple' or something that I can return locally, rather than having to rely on 'return processing'... While it's true that on-line shopping offers lots of options, I've come to the conclusion that in most cases, i don't need that many options, nor do I want to spend that much time scouring page after page of on-line merchandise...For the most part, I prefer the 'bird in the hand' approach to shopping...

As for TJX, as I've shared previously, even they aren't what they used to be, but I do still visit regularly and do often find what I might want or need at their various stores... Their pricing, like everyone's, has gone up... their options aren't, perhaps, as plentiful as they once were and their customer focus has slipped, but it's still a good local resource...

Don't get me started on Target... Once one of my favorite lower cost places to shop, my local store isn't what it used to be and while I still go there regularly, it's more a matter of convenience and familiarity than because I so love the store... First, like everywhere, prices are up and sales are hardly worth mentioning... Then, there's the floor space devoted to 'groceries' and now to beer and wine... I have no problem with selling beer or wine, other than the loss of merchandise they've had to put asunder to make room... Recently, my store was apparently designated as a 'lower volume' store and, as a result, they are now no longer wiling to pay workers to stock at night, which means shelves are routinely not well stocked and there are often boxes and racks blocking aisles as workers try to stock while shoppers try to shop... Going further, as part of the world-wide retail effort to court younger shoppers... I recently learned they're closing their cafe to install, you guessed it, a Starbucks... Be still my heart... I guess they assume all those young, 'busy' moms will coalesce around their lattes while they shop... Fine, as far as it goes, but there's already a Starbucks a few doors down, not to mention on pretty much every corner... Starbucks if fine. I occasionally pick up something there but I preferred the option of being able to have quick bite or pick up a soft drink while I shopped to sitting and nursing... an over-priced coffee confection... Ah progress...

And so it goes...

[Spurt]

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@stevieb wrote:

@Spurt  Greetings to ya...  

As for Qurate and QVC, I've pretty much lost all interest in what they do or how they're doing... I see them making changes, but not sure they're the kinds of changes some of us have long been suggesting or that will make a difference. They certainly haven't made any difference in my shopping or viewing habits... Their reports, such as they are, seem to take 'spin' to a whole new level... As for Zulily, I've shopped there occasionally, but have been underwhelmed by the 'savings' and am really not a fan of the whole 'flash sale' approach. I can't compare their operation pre and post the takeover, because I didn't shop there 'before' enough to make any kind of judgment.

As far as it goes, I've virtually stopped most on-line shopping, other than very occasionally and even then it's usually for something that is a 'staple' or something that I can return locally, rather than having to rely on 'return processing'... While it's true that on-line shopping offers lots of options, I've come to the conclusion that in most cases, i don't need that many options, nor do I want to spend that much time scouring page after page of on-line merchandise...For the most part, I prefer the 'bird in the hand' approach to shopping...

As for TJX, as I've shared previously, even they aren't what they used to be, but I do still visit regularly and do often find what I might want or need at their various stores... Their pricing, like everyone's, has gone up... their options aren't, perhaps, as plentiful as they once were and their customer focus has slipped, but it's still a good local resource...

Don't get me started on Target... Once one of my favorite lower cost places to shop, my local store isn't what it used to be and while I still go there regularly, it's more a matter of convenience and familiarity than because I so love the store... First, like everywhere, prices are up and sales are hardly worth mentioning... Then, there's the floor space devoted to 'groceries' and now to beer and wine... I have no problem with selling beer or wine, other than the loss of merchandise they've had to put asunder to make room... Recently, my store was apparently designated as a 'lower volume' store and, as a result, they are now no longer wiling to pay workers to stock at night, which means shelves are routinely not well stocked and there are often boxes and racks blocking aisles as workers try to stock while shoppers try to shop... Going further, as part of the world-wide retail effort to court younger shoppers... I recently learned they're closing their cafe to install, you guessed it, a Starbucks... Be still my heart... I guess they assume all those young, 'busy' moms will coalesce around their lattes while they shop... Fine, as far as it goes, but there's already a Starbucks a few doors down, not to mention on pretty much every corner... Starbucks if fine. I occasionally pick up something there but I preferred the option of being able to have quick bite or pick up a soft drink while I shopped to sitting and nursing... an over-priced coffee confection... Ah progress...

And so it goes...

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@stevieb 

I hear you Qurate....you can shuffle hosts, add clever show titles and jazzy music, but the real stuff that matters remains the same...stale products, stale weekend programming, and the more pleasant hosts are banished to never, never land known as Q2, while the most annoying seem to be front and center and always on prime time............

Clothes----  Yes, I prefer the hands on in store approch,check out quality first hand, and the fit is much more consistent in store...

Home decor and home goods---I love to browse those stores!!!

Different parts of the country must be doing things according to economy, growth, performance---my combo TJ/Home Goods always has a nice variety of new stuff--you see something you like, better get it because its likely to be gone.....Of course this is one of their high end stores----haven't been to their other stores lately, do have a Marshalls pretty close, very nice store...enjoy shopping there.

Target closed my favorite store it only had a tiny bit of groceries, but a bad storm wind and hail damaged the shopping center building, and repairs were going to take too long, and Target decided to close it permanently.  They probably thought with all that required repair time shoppers would get used to going to Wally World down the road and it would be hard to get them to come back.......I really miss that Target and I hate that Wally World  ....the shopping center building was repaired and a furniture store is in it's place....

The rest of the Targets here are Super Targets with full grocery not as close to me....and all of them have had a snack bar on one side of the store and a mini Starbucks on the other side...And like yours strange in the same shopping center in addition to Target with a mini Starbucks is a big Starbucks---- go figure...I guess one can't have too much STRONG coffee, of course the big Starbucks is filled with college students and their laptops....Across the road at the mall is ------you guessed it yet another Starbucks....We actually prefer a little coffee shop down the highway with delicious pastries better than Starbucks....their coffee/teas are better too...and slightly cheaper....

Our Targets seem to have expanded their home goods/decor section...the grocery section always seems pretty deserted of shoppers, but the rest of the store is hoppin!  And long check out lines with all registers open.... 

Yep all the prices everywhere are going up and up particularly at the grocery store.....is it to pay for all the grocery delivery or curbside pick up services....

And your right, online shopping has its negatives---items arent what was portrayed, or arrive broken, porch pirates and returns....

Take care