Product Search Returns for Second Year with Virtual Pitch Panel
Experience, Four Additional Categories and International Reach
WEST CHESTER, Pennsylvania,
July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- QVC
US and HSN, the world leaders in building brands through
multiplatform storytelling, today announce the return of The Big
Find®, an international search to discover entrepreneurs with
the next big brand or unique product for a once-in-a-lifetime
opportunity to share their stories with an audience of
millions.
The Big Find pitch panel experience has been reimagined as an
entirely virtual event to allow for safe and convenient engagement
between vendors and QVC and HSN judges. The first step in the
process of discovery is for entrepreneurs and inventors to complete
an application that includes a video submission on their product or
product lines from July 8 through August
19.
Selected candidates will then be invited to pitch their products
virtually in September via videoconference to a panel of QVC and
HSN judges, including merchandising executives, program hosts, and
brand founders from established QVC and HSN brands. The panel of
QVC and HSN judges will interview candidates to learn more about
their brand story, background on the product or invention and what
makes the product interesting or relevant. If an entrepreneur or
vendor is identified as a 'Big Ticket' recipient, she or he will be
invited to continue the product discovery process with QVC or HSN
which includes meetings with merchandising teams and a robust
quality assurance process before the brand is chosen to launch
on-air and on-line across all platforms.
This year's search has been expanded to include nine categories.
Last year, entrepreneurs representing apparel, jewelry,
accessories, footwear and beauty applied for The Big Find. In 2020,
QVC and HSN are adding home décor, home innovation, electronics and
culinary including food to the eligible category list. Expansion
into the four new categories is due, in part, to extraordinary
growth in these categories. Shoppers' buying habits shifted during
the last several months of restricted activities and products in
the category of 'home essentials' including home office, food &
storage, tech resources and beautification of home have become
shoppers' primary interest.
Through The Big Find and similar initiatives, QVC and HSN have
built a track record of launching and fostering the growth of
up-and-coming brands and small businesses by harnessing the
power of storytelling and discovery-driven shopping experiences.
Over the years, the two retailers have helped multiple
entrepreneurial brands become national and international success
stories, including IT Cosmetics, TATCHA, SPANX®, Junior's
Cheesecake, Korres, and others.
"Our business has always been rooted in discovering and
nurturing authentic, emerging brands, and our customers have really
enjoyed getting to know the many inspiring entrepreneurs and
products we discovered through last year's Big Find," said
Mary Campbell, Chief Merchandising
Officer, Qurate Retail Group, and Chief Commerce Officer, QVC US.
"We're excited about building on that success with this year's
search. By adding new categories, we look forward to creating even
more opportunities for entrepreneurs with unique products and
compelling stories to work with us in curating differentiated
product experiences for our customers."
Last year's inaugural Big Find nationwide search brought in more
than 650 entries from 43 US states, the District of Columbia, and 12 countries
including Australia, Canada, Germany, India, South
Africa, Switzerland and
United Kingdom, among others. More
than 65 rising brands in beauty and fashion were selected to
introduce their products across QVC and HSN platforms throughout
2020, including Act & Acre, Alkaglam, Mented Cosmetics,
Follain, Have Some Fun Today, Valencia
Key and many more. This year, QVC and HSN expect to exceed
the number of brands identified through The Big Find 2020.
"Participating in The Big Find and becoming a part of the QVC
and HSN vendor community has been an incredible journey," said KJ
Miller, Co-Founder, Mented Cosmetics. "The platforms have allowed
us to share our story with a new set of customers and bring our
brand to life in a way we would not be able to achieve through
traditional retail channels. The teams at QVC and HSN have guided
our way throughout this entire experience, providing us with
invaluable feedback and support. We have already seen strong growth
to our business, and we are looking forward to continued success
together."
QVC and HSN have further deepened their support of small
businesses this year through Qurate Retail's Small Business
Spotlight initiative, in collaboration with the NRF Foundation.
Through this initiative, QVC and HSN have provided a visibility
platform and a mentorship program to approximately 20 small
businesses across the country. In addition, the companies are
launching a new phase of the Small Business Spotlight to highlight
Black-owned small businesses across their on-air and digital
platforms as well as Black-owned brands that are current QVC and
HSN vendors.
To learn more about The Big Find, search "The Big Find" on
QVC.com and HSN.com.
About QVC® and HSN®
QVC delivers the joy of discovery through the power of
relationships. Every day, QVC engages millions of shoppers in a
journey of discovery through an ever-changing collection of
familiar brands and fresh new products, from home and fashion to
beauty, electronics, and jewelry. Along the way, QVC connects
shoppers to interesting personalities, engaging stories, and
award-winning customer service. Based in West Chester, PA and founded in 1986, QVC has
retail operations in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan, Italy,
and through a joint venture in China. Worldwide, QVC engages shoppers on 13
broadcast networks reaching approximately 380 million homes and on
multiple websites, mobile apps, and social pages. To learn more,
visit corporate.qvc.com, follow @QVC on Facebook, Instagram, or
Twitter, or follow QVC on Pinterest, YouTube, or
LinkedIn.
HSN delivers the thrill of discovery through inspiring her
passions. HSN is a leading interactive and lifestyle retailer,
offering a curated assortment of exclusive products and top brand
names to its customers. HSN incorporates entertainment,
personalities, and industry experts to provide an entirely unique
shopping experience. At HSN, customers find exceptional selections
in health and beauty, jewelry, home/lifestyle, fashion/accessories,
and electronics. HSN engages customers on two broadcast networks
reaching approximately 92 million homes, and on a website, mobile
apps, and social pages. HSN was founded over 40 years ago as the
first shopping network and is based in St. Petersburg, Fla. To learn more, visit
corporate.hsn.com, follow @HSN on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter,
or follow HSN on Pinterest, YouTube, or LinkedIn.
Qurate Retail, Inc. (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB) includes
QVC®, HSN, Zulily® and the Cornerstone brands
(collectively, "Qurate Retail GroupSM"), as well as
other minority interests and green energy investments. Qurate
Retail Group believes in a Third Way to Shop® – beyond
transactional ecommerce or traditional brick-and-mortar stores. In
addition to being #1 in video commerce, Qurate Retail Group is
among the top 10 ecommerce retailers in North America (according to Digital Commerce
360) and is a leader in mobile commerce and social
commerce. For more information, visit
www.qurateretailgroup.com, follow @QurateRetailGrp
on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or follow Qurate
Retail Group on YouTube or LinkedIn.
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