Q Talk

[Group 5 minus 1]

In all my years of watching the Q this year wins the prize for the WORST selection of holiday gift items,etc.

[millieshops]

Why?   Am I the only person who doesn't want to buy jewelry any longer?  That's about the only thing that hasb't been offered a whole lot.  And you could always go to th website and get that, too.

I've liked lots of the offerings - for the kitchen, for cameras, for beauty items, etc.

Of course, I used to be the only person in the country who gave away those tiny flashlights when you couldn't find them easily elsewhere.

The only really busy stores in the huge expensive mall near me?  Apple and Verizon -  people are buying electronics and elecgtronics and electronics.

The only thing they overdo from my point of view since I'm in southern Florida is winter clothes -  all those sweaters and boots don't do a thing for me -  but that's all you can buy right here in the local stores, too.  No wonder they keep showing them.

[Group 5 minus 1]

It is more than about jewelry. Too many electronic things, too many gadgets. I do not like the overly long presentations.

On another note: Asked a greeter at a B&M store about business and she said black Friday was "dead". The few stores we have been to are not super busy-maybe this week.

[stevieb]

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@ncascade wrote:

In all my years of watching the Q this year wins the prize for the WORST selection of holiday gift items,etc.

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It absolutely was. Not that it was all that different from the past several years, but the on-air selection of the same handful of items presented repeatedly was dreadful. If you 'shopped' the non-Christmas shows, you might have found something of potential interest as a gift, but the 'generic' gift shows were, as they always are, about like watching paint dry. For three months now, they've all featured pretty much the same stale handful of items. Added to that, it was just more of the same ten or so brands. They lack essential variety. Not only are there too many of the same items shown time after time, but too many of the same or similar items shown year after year. 

[Winkk]

It's just that they show the same items over and over.  In the old days they offered  unique gifts that were different.  Now it's mass marketing with a handful of stale merchandise.  Hey, if it sells that's all that counts.

[stevieb]

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@millieshops wrote:

Why?   Am I the only person who doesn't want to buy jewelry any longer?  That's about the only thing that hasb't been offered a whole lot.  And you could always go to th website and get that, too.

I've liked lots of the offerings - for the kitchen, for cameras, for beauty items, etc.

Of course, I used to be the only person in the country who gave away those tiny flashlights when you couldn't find them easily elsewhere.

The only really busy stores in the huge expensive mall near me?  Apple and Verizon -  people are buying electronics and elecgtronics and electronics.

The only thing they overdo from my point of view since I'm in southern Florida is winter clothes -  all those sweaters and boots don't do a thing for me -  but that's all you can buy right here in the local stores, too.  No wonder they keep showing them.

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No matter how prone was is to defend QVC's choices, this is about far more than jewelry. It's about too much repetition and not enough variety. I think this is one of the reasons why 'discount' entities like the TJX stores and outlet malls do so well. They offer extensive variety either under the same roof or within easy walking distace. QVC has that capacity, but instead they've permitted their operation to grow stale and redundant. While I'm sure electronic sales expand at Christmas, QVC's very own financial reports have indicated for some time now that their sales in electronics are not precisely booming. Maybe their 'forced choice' (by offering so many to the exclusion of so much else) helped them move this category of goods based on protracted exposure, but at the same time, they left an awful lot of categories uncovered, forcing shoppers to seek other venues. It was an awful, boring array from the umpteenth season featuring Twister Trax right down to the wire featuring not much other than cameras, gizmos and gadgets.

[gardensla]

It was like being trapped in the  Groundhog Day movie. Day after day, the same thing and the same items they offered LAST year.

I noticed in early January (Goldrush event) they have a decently-priced solid 14K gold rope chain. This is just the thing I would have bought as a TSV for Christmas gifts, but QVC has dispensed with jewelry in favor of all things that plug-in and in terms of clothing either too casual athleisure-wear or cashmere sweaters and leather jacket and bags that are not competitively priced, exponentially more expensive than at major department stores. 

All that said, they seem to be doing fine. 

[GCR18]

It looked just like last year to me.

[Pearlee]

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@Winkk wrote:

.  In the old days they offered  unique gifts that were different. 

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@Winkk  I agree. I originally got hooked on QVC because of items available that I didn't see locally.  I'm not buying most of the stuff they sell because I can get it locally without the S&H charge and the loss of S&H if I return it.  I've also found the beauty items elsewhere that I used to buy from QVC - and at better deals and no S&H since I always buy the minimum for free S&H.    QVC is phasing itself out of my life with what it is offering.  TJMaxx and  Marshalls has better prices on the brands of handbags QVC sells. I've even seen Amy Kestenburg ones for much cheaper at DSW.  QVC sells a lot of stuff at retail (i.e. Dooney and Bourke) plus S&H charges that I can find cheaper at Macy's or even on the D&B website since they don't charge the S&H fee if you spend a certain amount.  OK, Denim and Co. is exclusive to QVC but those are only basics  - I turn to Target, Kohl's, Meijers etc. for basics and then just replace them if/when they wear out.  Again, no S&H charges.  I'm saying Bye Bye to QVC more and more.

[stevieb]

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@Pearlee wrote:

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@Winkk wrote:

.  In the old days they offered  unique gifts that were different. 

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@Winkk  I agree. I originally got hooked on QVC because of items available that I didn't see locally.  I'm not buying most of the stuff they sell because I can get it locally without the S&H charge and the loss of S&H if I return it.  I've also found the beauty items elsewhere that I used to buy from QVC - and at better deals and no S&H since I always buy the minimum for free S&H.    QVC is phasing itself out of my life with what it is offering.  TJMaxx and  Marshalls has better prices on the brands of handbags QVC sells. I've even seen Amy Kestenburg ones for much cheaper at DSW.  QVC sells a lot of stuff at retail (i.e. Dooney and Bourke) plus S&H charges that I can find cheaper at Macy's or even on the D&B website since they don't charge the S&H fee if you spend a certain amount.  OK, Denim and Co. is exclusive to QVC but those are only basics  - I turn to Target, Kohl's, Meijers etc. for basics and then just replace them if/when they wear out.  Again, no S&H charges.  I'm saying Bye Bye to QVC more and more.

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Me too. This is the first year (virtually all year) since I joined the club that I've watched next to nothing. Although I still shopped somewhat regularly through about the first half of the year, since summer, my purchases here have been meager, and even more meager during the holiday season. At one time, QVC was one of my preferred shopping destinations. Now, it's become one of the 'also rans'. The programming, the lack of variety, the lack of incentives, the pricing, the shippinng, the host contingent and their on-air demeanor have all have come together to make shopping here no longer fun. Shopping, other than for essentials, is supposed to be an enjoyable experience. It seems the powers that be forgot that somewhere along the road to wherever it is they're going. Wherever they're going, I think I'll be going the other way.