QVC Buyer Offers Q-Insight

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Yesterday, The Q Factor had the opportunity to interview a QVC buyer. Although she wishes to remain anonymous because of the power of Q execs, she offered great knowledge of all things Q.

QueenofQ: Why are QVC shoppers so loyal to the company?

QBuyer: Because we offer great quality at great prices. They trust the hosts and find them credible on many subjects. And the hosts are actually very credible, they're trained. For example, Lisa Robertson [sells jewelry] goes to Italy and tours the gold manufacturers place of business.

QueenofQ: Why is shopping at QVC kept secret? Why does it seem taboo to say, "I Q"?

QBuyer: People have a negative perception - they think our shopper is a woman who sits around all day and shops at home, an old woman. But really our shopper shops so much, she even shops at home. She knows a good value when she sees it because she knows the market. The QVC shopper is more affluent and educated than people think. She's a soccer mom.

QueenofQ: What is the mindset behind the iQdoU? campaign?

QBuyer: In the 21 years QVC has been around, we turn 21 on Friday, the company has never done an ad campaign. The reasoning behind that was that we're already in 90 million homes. But out of that 90 million, QVC is only reaching 30 million people. I hope the campaign changes people's perceptions of what we are, and what we're about. I hope it can also bring in new names [vendors].

QueenofQ: I've noticed QVC ads in magazines like US Weekly and Vogue. Is QVC trying to reach a younger audience?

QBuyer: I think that, sure, they want to attract a younger audience. But QVC would never rely on a younger audience to comprise the customer base. A younger person would never say she shops on QVC.

QueenofQ: How do you think QVC could improve?

QBuyer: I would first like to state that QVC is an incredible force in "home shopping." QVC is bigger than all competitors combined. With that being said, I think they could definitely try to bring in more brand names. For example HSN had Scoop NYC and Sephora on this year. We have big names, but we'd like to get more. And we're making progress, this year we featured Bobbi Brown, Paula Deen and Tacori.

QueenofQ: What percentage of the business do online sales constitute?

QBuyer: 30% of general business comes from online sales. QVC just updated the website. This was to generate sales, but also to keep up with the times, the website was looking a little old!

The Q Factor extends thanks to our anonymous Q Buyer. And remember, even though it's Thanksgiving and the stores are closed...Q is still on!

Q Character of the Day: Laura Gellar

Keeping in tune with Monday's blog about make up on the Q, our Q character of the day is make up artist Laura Gellar. I'll admit that I had never heard of Gellar until I watched her sell thousands of products last night with Lisa Robertson. Her products are innovative in the materials she uses to manufacture them, and how she produces them. Gellar uses tomato extract in her crease less concealer, which helps to hide lines and wrinkles. She also bakes blushes, bronzers and eye shadows. QVC flashed to her factories and it looked more like a bakery - women in white(hats and clothing) sizing what could have been cookie dough, but was actually make up, and placing them on baking trays. Last night, Gellar introduced a brow marker that she claimed her company has been working on for 3 years.

Gellar sold out of most of her products quickly. This, of course, resulted in excitement on her part. She was clapping, smacking the table and was so jittery when holding the products Lisa had to hold her hand still. Her wave goodbye to on-air testimonials is almost worse than Lisa's wave. Move your hand in an up and down fashion (instead of Lisa's finger wave) very fast and you have mastered the Gellar wave. Despite these mannerisms, the woman can sell. I was even tempted to pick up the phone, and I barely noticed an hour had passed. Rock on Laura.

Functionally Fabulous

Confession: I have a slight addiction to accessories. More particularly, an addiction to earrings and necklaces. After years and years of acquiring the goods, I had nowhere to keep them. I just left earrings sitting on my vanity until I forgot about them, then one earring would disappear and I would have to mourn the loss of yet another pair. This happened over and over again, until I found the perfect solution – the QVC jewelry organizers.

Ok, let’s be honest – I didn’t find the solution, a very wise woman gave the organizer to me as a present and I fell in love. The jewelry bag has 5 different sleeves – some sleeves have larger pockets for necklaces, other pockets are smaller for earrings. The sleeves can be removed from the bag. This is great for traveling – just pack everything you want to bring in one sleeve and take it out of the bag. It’s incredible how organized this product will keep you, trust me. As I’ve previously mentioned, when the Q does something right – they do it all the way. A jewelry bag like this is about $30. I consider it a bargain when I think about all the earrings I’ve lost over the years.

Hello Beautiful

I’ve already talked about ordering food from QVC, but another category QVC markets is beauty. QVC sells high-end beauty products at cheaper prices. Here are the top 5 beauty brands QVC sells, and a description of what makes them so great:

Bobbi Brown: Makeup artist to the stars, Brown launched her own cosmetic line in 1993. It started with just 10 lipsticks and now has expanded to include all the beauty world has to offer. Bobbi's vision is for "women want to look and feel like themselves, only prettier and more confident.”

Philosophy: This brand offers beauty product in scents that smell so good, you may try to eat the product. I’m not kidding. They also have catchy names like “Saving Grace” and “Hope in a Tube.” Their products include shower gel, lip gloss, anti aging products and other makeup.

Bare Escentuals: Their foundation is different from other brands in that it is made with crushed minerals from the earth. This means it’s free of preservatives, talc, oil, waxes, fragrances, and other chemicals that can cause breakouts. It looks like a powder but feels like a cream. Though its a very light foundation, it still provides the same coverage cakey, heavy makeup does. This brand is a great natural answer to wearing makeup.

smashbox: This brand offers an array of makeup - beautiful eye shadows, glimmering lip glosses and any foundation or cream you can imagine. My favorite product from smashbox is their eye brightener. It’s an under-eye concealer for those days when you’re running on less than 5 hours of sleep.

L’Occitane: These fragrances and lotions are simply the best. L’Occitane combines essential oils and natural ingredients from the Mediterranean with rich shea butter. The smell, the feel and experience of using their products is unbeatable.

The Business of Being QVC

Reuters reported that QVC’s quarterly revenue rose 2 percent to $1.69 billion, but operating cash flow fell 1 percent. Not the best news for the Q.

"On an operating basis, clearly we're disappointed with the continued softness in QVC," Chief Executive Gregory Maffei said. The Reuters article also stated that Liberty Media Corp (QVC’s owner) is trying to purchase a division of IAC/InterActiveCorp that includes the Home Shopping Network (HSN).

Two shopping channels owned by the same company – sounds intriguing. As Queen of Q, I am versed in shopping, not business. I can’t offer much knowledge on what a merge would mean or do for QVC, so please friends read on here.

QVC Character of the Day: President and CEO, Mike George

George was named CEO and President of QVC in April 2006, though he had been working as President and CEO-elect since 2005. Prior to QVC, George worked as the chief marketing officer and general manager of Dell’s US Consumer Business.

Though he may resemble your high school history teacher or principal, George seems to have brought a lot to QVC. In an interview with BusinessWeek in May 2006, George discussed his wishes to build the QVC brand. He stated that once you shop QVC, you become a customer for life. He elaborated that the QVC brand is synonymous with trust, information, community and inspiration. After watching this interview, I think it’s safe to presume George (along with many others, I’m sure) is in charge of the whole iQdoU? campaign. His marketing background must have helped enormously in coming up with a different way to market the Q. Who doesn’t love a cute, intelligent nerd? Today, we honor “Mr. QVC,” Mike George for bringing a new vision to the Q.

A Girl's Best Friend

If you’ve never heard of Diamonique, you are not a true Q aficionado. The term Diamonique is QVC’s version of faux diamonds, along the lines of cubic zirconium. QVC deems Diamonique the “finest simulated gemstone made by man.” A one-caret Diamonique stone is supposedly identical in size to a one-carat diamond. Every Diamonique stone is “precision-cut by hand and machine for consistency and brilliance.” These stones rate 8.5 on the Moh’s Hardness Scale (diamonds rate 10).

Both of my sisters sport ostentatious Diamonique studs. They always get compliments on them, and people consistently think they’re the real deal. And apparently, they are not the only ones to experience this response from Diamonique – on Brides.com, one woman writes of a similar tale:

My future mother in-law swears by QVC Diamonique. She has a lot of the real thing. But when she travels she takes her Diamonique with her. She says she gets just as many compliments on the Diamonique as she does with her real. There have been times that she has opened up her jewelry box and I could not tell the difference between the real thing and the Diamonique. So I would say go for it.

To read more of their comments on Diamonique click here. If you can’t afford the real thing, Diamonique is probably the next best option. Like my sisters, you don’t have to tell people that they’re not real diamonds. Just smile, say thank you and think of what the Q has done for you.