Re: Programming in general

CalminHeart · ‎03-09-2010

@Tori3569 wrote:
@Desert Lily wrote:
The OP is likely saying that it was a formula that worked during those years and brought customer satisfaction and great success to QVC.

Currently, QVC's future is sketchy at best. Yes the world & retail have changed, but Project Athens was a mistake by bringing significantly higher prices that couldn't be rationalized with any new matched real increased costs, and by bringing a major focus on entertainment in presentations. Tech was just a part of their problems. Project Athens caused a segment of loyal QVC customers to turn away and shop elsewhere.

The OP has valid points, and really shouldn't be scolded to shop elsewhere. QVC needs customers. It appears many Q customers already shop at other retailers.

I think the OP is also saying that QVC's products are no longer as competitive in price or in uniqueness as they used to be. If that's true, I hope the Q can find a way to keep the customers they have in their market niche & attract new ones, and expand their niche.

If they read some of the news articles, outside vendors & suppliers may be hesitant to rely on the current QVC as their main selling & distributing platform.

QVC's situation is sad. Perhaps the WIN strategy will bring the Q up by its boot straps. I'm hoping they can turn things around.

No one outside the C Suite knows the specifics of project Athens or the results. Anything publically available is not going to have all the details. No corporation does that.
Having said that, there was so much more to it than raising prices. They have strengthened their P&L by reducing debt which is a huge win.

They have also combined operations with HSN moving to PA that will undoubtedly save a lot of money in the coming years. Plus it will be easier to liquidate HSN from PA if that becomes necessary.

They have also laid a solid foundation for social media platform business which should have realized sales and profit in the coming years as well.

There is so much more to running a profitable mega corporation than just the current sales and customer counts. Prices are up comparatively everywhere, so that's a moot point.
Personally I think they have positioned themselves well for 2026 and beyond.

Their finances have been in the toilet for years and stay there. That's not good and each year makes it more difficult to become profitable.

As a former executive at a huge corporation, I can see so many things they could do to improve their bottom line without spending a ton of money or laying off hundreds/thousands of people. But they don't. If they fail, it's on them.

We rescue cats · ‎01-25-2023

For many years we had a television going in the waiting area of the travel agencies tuned to QVC/HSN, and we kept a phone, tablet and pen/paper available. Our very best customers could even have the packages delivered to our offce so the spouse did not know! Now I seldom watch, I look online a couple of times a day, most of the programming I watch does not carry the shopping stations.

Lynn-Critter Lover!
(especially cats!)

They CallMe MRWILKES · ‎06-29-2016

We'll know by mid-February how well (or not) QVC Group is doing when the all important 4th Quarter and full year results are released.

We'll also see if the company is still in compliance with its credit facility debt ratios; violation could trigger the lender banks to call in the loan earlier than October 2026.

Estellee · ‎07-12-2011

I'm keeping my fingers crossed for QVC.

ShopperL · ‎05-06-2012

The article in the Philly paper said that the company issued a statement in their financial filing that normally is issued when the company doesn't think it can be an ongoing entity for the next year. That really shocked me that they are in that much trouble. I see that they are hiring new hosts and the HSN people relocated to PA but who knows if we'll be shopping at QVC/HSN next Christmas.

Regal Bee · ‎07-20-2017

@bonnielu wrote:
Very far back and over the years I use to watch what seems like hourly and stop daily. Not so anymore. 1. High prices 2. Shipping costs 3. Available like items from other retailers and from Amazon at better price points 4.Lot of repetition of product types 5. Hosts who chat and socialize rather than describe products.

Need to go back QVC and see what worked from long ago. And need to listen to what many are saying to make improvements. It was once the top place to shop.

@bonnielu I can so relate to what you are saying. The Q used to be great but I gave up on it several years ago. I haven't watched any of the shows in over three years. I do order online, but seldom, even with that.

There isn't any returning to past years...it isn't going to happen. Sad.

ellaphant · ‎12-13-2010

@bonnielu wrote:
Very far back and over the years I use to watch what seems like hourly and stop daily. Not so anymore. 1. High prices 2. Shipping costs 3. Available like items from other retailers and from Amazon at better price points 4.Lot of repetition of product types 5. Hosts who chat and socialize rather than describe products.

Need to go back QVC and see what worked from long ago. And need to listen to what many are saying to make improvements. It was once the top place to shop.

Nothing ever remains the same. Price always go up. I only watch a full hour of Q when its jewelry as its fun. I rarely buy. Used to buy a lot of clothes from Q, not now. Q is a dying company.

deeva · ‎03-09-2010

Thirty years ago there was very little shopping online and QVC had a captive audience. Those days are gone and so is QVC's old marketing strategy.

The customers QVC had back then are now old and most aren't buying as much.

Steph QVC123 · ‎02-08-2025

@bonnielu Unfortunately, with Amazon and social media shopping and the severe decline in cable, there is no going back. I wish they had more variety on screen, but companies do not want to pay for television time when they can easily sell on Amazon or social media for little cost. TV has a HUGE overhead. I like and support the model bc I'm a cable person, and I like to have QVC on, but I understand why it's not sustainable. They can't get new customers via cable because there are millions less cable viewers per year. The customers are just not there anymore. Therefore brands won't invest.