WEST CHESTER, Pa., Jan. 19, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Qurate Retail
Group and the National Retail Federation (NRF) Foundation are
expanding their highly successful Small Business Spotlight
initiative to support 100 entrepreneurs of diverse backgrounds in
2021. Through this program, Qurate Retail Group will provide the
selected businesses with on-air and/or digital exposure and various
other pro-bono in-kind services.
The program builds on Qurate Retail Group's longstanding
foundation of supporting small businesses and reflects the
company's and NRF Foundation's commitment to increasing
opportunities for underrepresented groups. Over the years, Qurate
Retail Group has helped multiple entrepreneurial brands become
national and even international success stories through the power
of live video storytelling, discovery-driven shopping experiences,
and loyal customer community-building.
"Our brands' reach across traditional linear TV, digital
platforms, and social media-based livestreaming is unrivalled and
gives us an extraordinary ability to bring together large
communities of highly engaged shoppers around shared interests,"
said Mike George, President and CEO,
Qurate Retail, Inc. "Through the Small Business Spotlight, we are
extending our impact far beyond the many entrepreneurial businesses
in our vendor base. We're proud to offer special support to local
small businesses and their communities."
Throughout 2021, QVC US, HSN, and Zulily – which reach more than
90 million homes in the U.S. via broadcast channels and millions
more via digital and social platforms – will promote selected small
businesses during heritage and recognition months, including Black
History Month (February), Women's History Month (March), National
Military Appreciation Month (May), Pride Month (June), National
Hispanic Heritage Month (September), and National Disability
Employment Awareness Month (October). All participating businesses
will be profiled on QVC.com and HSN.com and will receive PR
support. In addition:
- Businesses selected for on-air exposure will be featured in
several 2-4-minute live segments on QVC and HSN, with the
repackaged video also shared on QVC's and HSN's social pages and
streaming service. These businesses will also have an opportunity
to participate in a virtual mentorship program with Qurate Retail
Group team members.
- Businesses selected for digital exposure will receive social
tools and resources to promote their participation.
- The Small Business Spotlight will also be amplified on Zulily's
digital channels.
The application period opens today and closes February 26. To qualify, a business must meet the
program's eligibility requirements, including:
- employing 100 or fewer workers,
- being 51 percent owned by an entrepreneur of a diverse
background, and
- having an ecommerce capability and social media presence.
Due to planning and production requirements, featured small
businesses for Black History Month and Women's History Month have
already been selected. More details on eligibility and criteria, as
well as the application link, are available here.
Qurate Retail Group and the NRF Foundation launched the Small
Business Spotlight in May 2020 to
help small businesses challenged by COVID-19. The first 20
participating businesses received on-air interview segments,
repackaged video on QVC and HSN streaming services, email
marketing, social posts, and website exposure. In a follow-up
survey, more than 80% of businesses saw increases in online sales
and new customers. The second phase of the Small Business
Spotlight, conducted from August through October, featured 40
Black-owned businesses. More than half of all small businesses
featured in the 2020 Small Business Spotlight also opted in to
participate in virtual mentoring.
"Given the many challenges posed by 2020, the Small Business
Spotlight program created a lifeline for small businesses like
mine," said April McClung, owner of
Emily's Heirloom Poundcakes in Birmingham, Ala. "We were able to reach
millions of customers across the country, who would have never
known about us, with our unique brand story. The exposure and
support generated increased sales and engagement that turned our
year around. During a period of so many unknowns and hardships for
the small business community, it was truly inspiring to experience
this support and encouragement firsthand."
"In 2020, we were inspired by the stories of small business
owners across America who continue to serve as the backbone of
their communities despite challenges brought on by the pandemic,"
said Matthew Shay, President and CEO
of the National Retail Federation. "NRF and the NRF Foundation are
proud to expand our partnership with Qurate Retail Group to help
even more small businesses break down the barriers to growth with
the program and platform that will allow them to reach new
customers in 2021."
About Qurate Retail Group
Qurate Retail
GroupSM comprises seven leading retail brands –
QVC®, HSN®, Zulily®, Ballard
Designs®, Frontgate®, Garnet Hill®, and Grandin
Road® – all dedicated to providing a Third Way to
Shop®, beyond transactional ecommerce or traditional
brick-and-mortar stores. Qurate Retail GroupSM is a
world leader in video commerce, among the top 10 ecommerce
retailers in North America
(according to Digital Commerce 360), and a leader in mobile
commerce and social commerce. The retailer reaches
approximately 380 million homes worldwide via 15 television
networks, attracts 2.4 billion digital sessions per year across its
ecommerce sites and mobile apps, and engages customers via social
pages, print catalogs, and in-store destinations. Qurate Retail
Group combines the best of retail, media, and social to curate
products, experiences, conversations, and communities for millions
of highly discerning shoppers – bringing joy, inspiration, and
humanity to shopping. Qurate Retail Group also curates large
audiences, across multiple platforms, for thousands of brand
vendors. Headquartered in West Chester,
Pa., Qurate Retail Group has 25,000 team members in the
U.S., the U.K., Germany,
Japan, Italy, Poland, and China. For more information, visit
www.qurateretailgroup.com, follow @QurateRetailGrp
on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or follow Qurate Retail
Group on YouTube or LinkedIn.
Qurate Retail, Inc. (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB) includes the Qurate
Retail Group portfolio of brands as well as other minority
interests and green energy investments.
About NRF
The National Retail Federation, the world's
largest retail trade association, passionately advocates for the
people, brands, policies and ideas that help retail thrive. From
its headquarters in Washington,
D.C., NRF empowers the industry that powers the economy.
Retail is the nation's largest private-sector employer,
contributing $3.9 trillion to annual
GDP and supporting one in four U.S. jobs — 52 million working
Americans. For over a century, NRF and its educational arm, the NRF
Foundation, have been a voice for every retailer and every retail
job, educating, inspiring and communicating the powerful impact
retail has on local communities and global economies.
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SOURCE Qurate Retail Group