Advantages and Disadvantages of Selling on QVC Home Shopping Network

If you want instant — and HUGE — exposure for your product, check out home shopping networks such as QVC. If you’ve got the right product, QVC can be an excellent distribution channel.

QVC has been instrumental in the success of many products. Footless hosiery Spanx first appeared in QVC in May 2001 and sold 8,000 pairs in under eight minutes. Necklace extender Shooks sold $37,128 worth of products in less than five minutes, while the illuminated fragrance jar of Potpourri Glo sold $39,018 worth of products. And the list goes on and on.

But selling on QVC has its advantages and disadvantages that you should consider. While the network offers an incredible opportunity to new entrepreneurs, potential participants should also understand that they’ll assume some risk should their product be chosen.

Advantages

• Television allows for three dimensional demonstrations of your product. Through your story and live presentation, you can convince the customers of the benefits your product can offer.
• Response can be instantaneous. If your product resonates with the audience, home shopping networks can allow you to move thousands of units of your products in a few minutes.
• Huge distribution potential. As amazing as that is for an unknown merchant hawking an unknown product, the feat is repeated over and over again during the show.
• Ability to reach wide geographic targeting of audience.
• Venue allows for feedback from buyers. The company encourages feedback from its customers and so remains aware of what they want.

Disadvantages

• Getting in on the show is tough. On average QVC receives 20,000 applications a year, only 4 percent of those landed on the show.
• Huge inventory requirements. You will be required to have enough inventory in stock prior to your appearance in the show. But you will be paid only if and when QVC sells your product.
• Rigorous quality tests. Your products must pass QVC quality standards. Depending how much you want your product to be on QVC, you must be willing to change the packaging or even the use of your products as you’ve envisioned it to be in order to be acceptable to QVC audience
• QVC can remove your items. QVC’s success stems from listening to their customers. As such, they take no chances with their products and will quickly remove any item that gets complaints totaling more than one percent of units shipped.

If you think QVC is right for you, visit their QVC Product Search website to learn about the process of pitching your products to QVC