QVC Prime? - Page 2

PeterDM · ‎07-30-2014

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
@PeterDM wrote:
@aprimo wrote:
I like the idea. It also needs to include free returns.

However, I am not sure QVC's distribution centers are capable of shipping that quickly on a large scale. Judging by the number of days many of my purchases remain "in process" before shipping, I think the Q has some serious issues in some of the distribution centers that would have to be worked out before that could be workable.
@aprimo, @ChynnaBluethe $99/year would offset the cost of employing more workers in the distribution centers. if QVC announced that the service would be available in 60 days time, and that you could sign up ahead of time, that would give them a rough estimate of how much extra staff they would need, so they wouldn't be slammed on day one. I'm sure there are also consultants who they could hire (someone at Amazon had to figure it out) to project what kind of upgrades, including staffing, they would need to make this work.

Whenever you compare any other company to Amazon, you need to consider that Amazon almost never makes a profit. It was huge news just a few months ago when they reported a profit because it's not the norm. QVC and its parent company, on the other hand, are profitable every year and keep growing. They run on entirely different business models. Amazon also Prime customers with much more than "free" shipping - streaming movies, music, and a Kindle lending library. When they only did "free" shipping, Prime was $50 a year.

Sephora gives customers free 3-day shipping if you spend over $50 for the order and free two-day shipping as a VIB Rouge reward perk, but you have to spend over $2000 a year at Sephora to earn the perk and it resets each year. QVC hasn't even been willing to offer free shipping if you spend $100. I just don't see them suddenly bypassing "free shipping if you spend X dollars" and jumping straight into an overpriced copy of Prime when they can't even match Amazon's normal level of service.

@ChynnaBlue, I never said anything about free shipping. I said 2 day shipping.

ChynnaBlue · ‎05-22-2012

@PeterDM wrote:

@ChynnaBlue, I never said anything about free shipping. I said 2 day shipping.

So you want to sign up for $99 a year PLUS shipping (which is always more expensive for 2-day shipping) to receive your packages in 2 days?

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PeterDM · ‎07-30-2014

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
@PeterDM wrote:

@ChynnaBlue, I never said anything about free shipping. I said 2 day shipping.

So you want to sign up for $99 a year PLUS shipping (which is always more expensive for 2-day shipping) to receive your packages in 2 days?

Well, actually, I was just using $99 as a reference, because that is what Amazon charges for Prime. However, yes, I would pay that much for two-day shipping on QVC. I go to Amazon to find items that I see on QVC when I need them faster than 7-10 days from that moment. I see it like health or car insurance. You don't always need it, but you still pay into it, and you still have a deductible.

jaxs mom · ‎04-18-2012

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
@PeterDM wrote:
I would like to suggest an Amazon Prime-type feature which allows customers to sign up to pay a yearly fee which allows them to receive their orders within 2 business days of placing the order. Considering that Amazon has a larger volume of customers and items for sale, and they are able to accomplish this by charging a fee of $99/year, I would imagine that QVC could figure this out too. Eventhough I only order from QVC an average of once a moth, I would jump at the chance to have this option, and I would certainly purchase more if I knew I could get the products quicker.

Wow, can you imagine the amount of change that would have to happen for this to take place? They cannot even get most orders to leave their warehouses within two days of an order, much less get them to our doors in two days. This wouldn't be just about shipping cost, it would require an entire overhaul of their warehouse and shipping processes to enable this kind of thing.

I just ordered a purse on express delivery from QVC this week. It was only a couple dollars more than the regular shipping. I ordered it Monday evening, it shipped Tuesday and is currently out for delivery. I tend to doubt that the average QVC customer would pay for a prime type serve, just like most Amazon customers don't.

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jaxs mom · ‎04-18-2012

@millieshops wrote:

But - I can't begin to imagine the logistics of setting this up in their warehouses. Amazon barely manages it; they frequently offer those of us on prime a dollar refund (payable toward another purchase, of course, so it's self-serving!) to accept a longer delivery time. I always take the dollar because the package pretty much always arrives within 2 days anyhow!

I've had Prime almost since it started and all in all it's rare that I don't get my package in two days. I've had it while living in 4 different states and in both urban and more rural towns. I don't think saying that Amazon barely manages it is a fair assessment.

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aprimo · ‎03-26-2010

@PeterDM wrote:
@ChynnaBlue wrote:
@PeterDM wrote:

@ChynnaBlue, I never said anything about free shipping. I said 2 day shipping.

So you want to sign up for $99 a year PLUS shipping (which is always more expensive for 2-day shipping) to receive your packages in 2 days?
Well, actually, I was just using $99 as a reference, because that is what Amazon charges for Prime. However, yes, I would pay that much for two-day shipping on QVC. I go to Amazon to find items that I see on QVC when I need them faster than 7-10 days from that moment. I see it like health or car insurance. You don't always need it, but you still pay into it, and you still have a deductible.

I'd want free 2-day shipping and free returns as part of the "Prime" service. The price may well need to be higher than $99. Continuing to pay $3 shipping per item, plus $6.95 return fees, plus $99/year just to get two-day shipping instead of 10-day shipping does not sound attractive to me.

aprimo · ‎03-26-2010

@JAXS Mom wrote:
@millieshops wrote:

But - I can't begin to imagine the logistics of setting this up in their warehouses. Amazon barely manages it; they frequently offer those of us on prime a dollar refund (payable toward another purchase, of course, so it's self-serving!) to accept a longer delivery time. I always take the dollar because the package pretty much always arrives within 2 days anyhow!

I've had Prime almost since it started and all in all it's rare that I don't get my package in two days. I've had it while living in 4 different states and in both urban and more rural towns. I don't think saying that Amazon barely manages it is a fair assessment.

I agree. Amazon does an excellent job with shipping, by and large. I order a lot from them and I rarely have a problem. I even receive shipments earlier than expected sometimes. Lately they have done some maneuvering to reduce some of their costs which some people may not like, but I haven't seen any evidence of them having a hard time managing the logistics of it all.

jpie · ‎06-21-2010

@PeterDM wrote:
I would like to suggest an Amazon Prime-type feature which allows customers to sign up to pay a yearly fee which allows them to receive their orders within 2 business days of placing the order. Considering that Amazon has a larger volume of customers and items for sale, and they are able to accomplish this by charging a fee of $99/year, I would imagine that QVC could figure this out too. Eventhough I only order from QVC an average of once a moth, I would jump at the chance to have this option, and I would certainly purchase more if I knew I could get the products quicker.

_________________________________________________

Interesting suggestion! Just out of pure curiosity, I went back for this year (January 2015-today---had to try the velvety sheets!) and calculated my shipping costs:

1. I had 30 shipments (hmmm, "loyal customer" lets just say, but not a hoarder! Lots of Wen, iT, and Philosophy
2. The total shipping costs = $78.66
3. Nine of those had a zero shipping cost (two Vionic shoe shipments, three Kind bars on AD, one AD on Philosophy, one AD on Supersmile, and two were just free shipping offers on earrings and a bracelet. I am sure that they factor the shipping cost into the total cost on these though.
4. I had mostly $3 charges for makeup and beauty (mostly WEN including one gallon!)
5. I only had one return this year.

Now, I do have three months left before the year is over. With a customer such as myself, if QVC did have a similar offer such as Prime, I would most likely come out even. With almost 100% of the items I order, I do not have to have them in two days. Actually, I could potentially end up spending more. So, at this point and time, I am happy with the current shipping costs.

aprimo · ‎03-26-2010

@ChynnaBlue wrote:
@PeterDM wrote:
@aprimo wrote:
I like the idea. It also needs to include free returns.

However, I am not sure QVC's distribution centers are capable of shipping that quickly on a large scale. Judging by the number of days many of my purchases remain "in process" before shipping, I think the Q has some serious issues in some of the distribution centers that would have to be worked out before that could be workable.
@aprimo, @ChynnaBluethe $99/year would offset the cost of employing more workers in the distribution centers. if QVC announced that the service would be available in 60 days time, and that you could sign up ahead of time, that would give them a rough estimate of how much extra staff they would need, so they wouldn't be slammed on day one. I'm sure there are also consultants who they could hire (someone at Amazon had to figure it out) to project what kind of upgrades, including staffing, they would need to make this work.

Whenever you compare any other company to Amazon, you need to consider that Amazon almost never makes a profit. It was huge news just a few months ago when they reported a profit because it's not the norm. QVC and its parent company, on the other hand, are profitable every year and keep growing. They run on entirely different business models. Amazon also Prime customers with much more than "free" shipping - streaming movies, music, and a Kindle lending library. When they only did "free" shipping, Prime was $50 a year.

Sephora gives customers free 3-day shipping if you spend over $50 for the order and free two-day shipping as a VIB Rouge reward perk, but you have to spend over $2000 a year at Sephora to earn the perk and it resets each year. QVC hasn't even been willing to offer free shipping if you spend $100. I just don't see them suddenly bypassing "free shipping if you spend X dollars" and jumping straight into an overpriced copy of Prime when they can't even match Amazon's normal level of service.

The reason they don't make a profit is not just Prime. Amazon spends an awful lot of money every year on expansion of their business into new areas. They are trying to compete with grocery stores in some areas (AmazonFresh, I think they call it). They are experimenting with same-day delivery and Sunday delivery. They have a lot of capital outlay for things far more expensive to them than Prime that causes them to go into the red.

Amazon did increase the price of Prime a year or two ago from $79 to $99/year. It may still be a loss-leader or no-profit service for them--I really don't know. But I'm sure it is far from the major reason for red ink on their balance sheet.

millieshops · ‎03-09-2010

@jpie I'm so glad you did that survey of your purchases/expenditures, I was just going to do that and you've saved me the trouble.

I know that for me QVC Prime would not pay and I can't think of any one purchase I've made over the past 5 years where I truly needed faster delivery. Apparently I've reached that stage of old age when patience sets in.

The other issue, of course, is that I think Amazon would lose millions of Prime payers if they didn't offer so many free books, free videos, etc. because if you buy enough from Amazon for that to pay, you also could profit from just grouping your purchases to meet the $35 level where shipping is already free. As someone pointed out, Amazon does deliver faster than QVC -- on everything except profit to investors.

QVC and Amazon are not similar businesses, so what works for one may well not work for the other. For me, what I buy from QVC I'll probably be buying for a long time and what I don't buy from them, I probably still won't just because they change the cost and timing of their shipping.