The Stars at Night, Are Big and Bright ...

Relios Jewelry (AKA Sincerely Southwest) won the "Emmy" of the home shopping universe: the QStar vendor award--available for 5 Easy Payments--for the third time!

So how does one win the QStar for Merchandising Teamwork? In a nutshell, you need to work super extra hard to drive more sales. Of course, you need to actually be a QVC vendor first.

This year’s 2008 QStar Awards booklet recognizes QVC guest Carolyn Pollack as a person who is “steadfast in her devotion to Relios and QVC… one who has a deep passion for Native American art and Southwestern jewelry." The narrative goes on to say that it’s Carolyn’s “love and appreciation that has established her as an expert of the QVC business model… and it’s her assiduousness that has earned the respect and trust from all who know her."

There are other categories too: Customer Focus, Internet Teamwork, Broadcasting Teamwork, Most Innovative, Operation Excellence, Product Concept, and Rising Star.

I really think that the Q should let the customers pick at least one winner. Come on! We might actually start to care about your special QStar Awards if we actually had a stake in something. Fan Favorite? Customer Choice Award? Queen Bea's Award to the Vendor Most Likely to Give Me Free Samples. perhaps? I like that last one quite a bit actually.

On top of winning awards, Relios is also opening their very first real brick-and-mortar retail store this week.

“Lots of people ask us where to go in Albuquerque to see all the great designs they love from our Sincerely Southwest on QVC or Relios Jewelry.com, and now we have a place where we can direct them. It’s very exciting!” says Pollack. “We can’t show everything we carry on QVC, so in the new store you will discover of hundreds of unexpected finds.”

Honestly, I'm not a big Southwestern jewelry kind of gal, but it's good to see a company succeed that makes their products right here in America--especially in these economic times. I'm giving them my own Queen Bea Home Shopping Award for Best Products Made in the USA!!!