QVC's parent company, Liberty Media, wants to make a play for HSN.
In case you didn't already know, here's the quick lowdown on the home shopping family tree: HSN was owned by IAC (i.e. Barry Diller); however, Liberty Media (i.e. John Malone), which owns QVC, had a 30% stake in IAC. So HSN and the Q were kinda sorta related--cousins from an inbred family, perhaps?
Anyway, then IAC spun off HSN into its own company cause Barry Diller's got better things to do now--like buying matchmaking websites in China!
On a recent conference call, Liberty CEO Gregg Maffei said that they are prohibited from making a bid on HSN until May 2010. "But we do believe we are the natural owner at some point of that company. We're the one with the most synergies." Maffei added that in the meantime, QVC has the right to increase its stake in HSN from 30% to 35%.
I don't know why Liberty wants even more of the home shopping biz--even though they are the "natural owner" with the most "synergies." Especially considering QVC's recent lackluster sales--domestic revenue fell 12% last quarter (that's the uber important holiday season too) mostly due to declines in jewelry and apparel. However, QVC President and CEO Mike (King) George swears on his brand new Mini Dell that the fall-off is not because that aren't attracting new customers or that their existing customers are leaving, but due to customers just buying less frequently.
And FYI, Liberty also just bailed out Sirius XM, so I'd be expecting a Sirius XM Radio TSV on the Q soon--only 6 easy payments, y'all!
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If QVC and HSN are sorta related, like cousins from an inbred family, AND QVC does eventually buy HSN ~~~ would that be considered as DELIVERANCE ??
ReplyDeleteI think I hear the faint sounds of banjos being strummed ... :-O
ReplyDeleteI would hate if they were owned by the same company. It would be too much of the same thing. Same vendors. Yuck. I like the diversity of the 2 companies. Plus QVC would do away with the good sales that you can get at hsn.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree, Michelle....home shopping channels getting stale as it is. That would surely crash and burn.
DeleteI sure don't want that to happen..I like having choices. QVC is getting so stale and HSN has it's problems too...wait a minute, my wallet might get fatter! If they're all ready kinda, sorta related now then merging is like incest, just please don't do it! I think the mixing of the two would just be a mess! Think of the hosts competing with each other for top dog!
ReplyDeleteWOW - just returned home after being gone a week. Can't believe this - hope the two channels stay separate as they are distinct enough from one another & don't want them combined or end up looking & sounding exactly alike!
ReplyDeleteThey gobbled up CVN all those years ago and that worked out ok. Maybe HSN will be the WalMart version of QVC if they bought it...?? I have to admit I do watch both. QVC has a few hosts that get on my nerves I have to admit but HSN hosts are worse all around. Colleen, Allan Scance and Chris Scanlan were from CVN as was Mary Beth Roe and the dredded Judy Crowell. QVC way outclasses the HSN hosts. I like to watch Puck when he's on there, and John Edward and whoever ends up off QVC does seem to eventually turn up there like Donna Dewberry and Andrew the vitamin man and who knows who else. It would be interesting though.
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately ....... the bad just seems to spread after a merger of companies. Look at ShopAtHome taking over at JTV, when it was JTV that bought SAH ... The bad spread like wildfire and it just keeps getting worse. I hope they stay separate and autonomous.
ReplyDeleteHSN has some serious shipping issues and quality assurance.. it in no way can compete with QVC as far as I am concerned. It is definitely inferior.
ReplyDeleteI did not buy one thing from them this Christmas despite a load of coupons from their "spin the wheel" Internet game. I just couldn't trust them to get products to me on time.
As for merging..think about Serius/XM Satellite radio (which is EXCELLENT, by the way)..as soon as they merged, they had to think about bankruptcy.
Now, that would be a sad and terrible thing to "leave".
I'm not a big radio listener until I get in the car. Local stations fade in and out, but Satellite radio is reliable. I love to listen to the news station I want to hear.
I only surf to HSN when QVC is represented by some hosts that I never, never watch. Those that are too animated, like Shawn and Jacque, Others, like Patti, who always interrupts and interjects her uh, uh, - that's right, etc. The very best are Mary Beth Roe and Jane Brown and Linda Mason. Classy ladies who know how to present a product and NOT interrupt the manufacture's representative.
ReplyDeleteI don't buy anything from HSN. I have curtailed shopping at QVC because some of the quality has suffered.
Ok, Newsflash,
ReplyDeleteThis last Nov. 09 both the "IT" bag from HSN and the "Trenchcoat" from QVC were nominated "O" magazine's pick of the month.
HSN ran out of the bag a week before the month started when the mag came out in glossy. There were several mishaps, like them putting the pumpkin on clearance for $20 and selling out one of their 6 colors. And them oops for one night the blue one went on clearence until dragged back in the morning for it's 129.99 plus ship price. Love those HSN sales. Broois Bros took mega advantage of being in "O" and if you go on their site and push women it is right there AS SEEN IN O magazine.
In all,when it oomes down to it you have to admire Miie George for the great job he is doing. The vendors are weird, silly, exaggerations of people, but the apple does not fall far from the tree.
Have you ever talked to Mike George? QVC poisoned me with a Juniors cheesecake and he called me up to hear what happened. What the f**k? When has that ever happened to anyone? I guess I leave a scary message. He is cool and open and much like his staff. Not being biased, the Joan Rivers trenchcoat stayed on the site all month in both colors and was out on waitlist at the end of the month in 3X only. So in the end he knowcked it out of the park.
While HSN was selling used pallets of womens undies repacked and made to look new for the Ebay Shmata Machers, George had his product in stock all month. It Appears someone (HSN) might not be paying its vendors....
Sorry but HSN has classed it up since Barry Diller went there. QVC has gone way down hill since Liberty Media arrived. (Remember, he was at QVC and then went to HSN.)
ReplyDeleteYou need to watch HSN now or check their website. They sell better brands than QVC!!
Oh, and MIKE GEORGE SUCKS! He is clueless.
And QVC crap is overloading the racks at my local outlet stores - KVZ, Susan Graver, Quacker Factory and Denim and Company for miles and miles. For a fourth of the original QVC over-priced price.
QVC is far better than HSN! Not much of a comparison if you ask me.
ReplyDeletePLEASE ASK COLEEN TO QUIT SAYING ILLOOOVVEE IT..DOES SHE HAVE A LIFE OR WHAT SHE IS OVER FORTY GRWO UP AND ACT PROFESSIONAL....
ReplyDeleteTELL QVC HOSTS TO STOP FAWNING ALL OVER JOAN RIVERS ..SHE IS JUST ANOTHER HAWKER FOR CHEAP GOODS...HER TEN MINUTES OF FAME ENDED A LONG TIME AGO....BUT THE HOSTS MAKES FOOLS OF THEMSELVES EVEN WHEN SHE INSULTSOTHERS AND USED PROFANITY...CLEAN IT UP
ReplyDeleteI hope QVC leaves HSN alone. HSN offers far superior fashions and jewelry, and their markdowns are far deeper than the Q's--they consider $5 off a discount, while HSN is far more generous). And QVC is stuffier and presents the same merchandise over and over. And many might differ, but most of HSN's hosts are more fun to watch.
ReplyDeleteHello
ReplyDeleteDo you know who actually owns Denim & co I love the clothes but hate QVC.
Hello,
ReplyDeleteI too would like to know who owns Denim & Co. and who are the designers of its clothing line. I personally feel they should be recognized and applauded!!! I wonder why the Q has not spoken of them. Or maybe the Q just buys products from all over and titles it Denim and Co?? Why such a secret?
HSN ripped me off shamefully on a package UPS delivered to a thief! They claimed I had not notified them of change od addy, but I did the first week of moving. QVC's quality control has nosedived. They just sent me a necklace that someone RIPPED APART! And it's sold out in the color I bought, so I'm out of luck, unless I want to refund it (and pay the postage) or get a color I don't even want. Fixing it will cost more than the necklace did. Both companies are starting to suck beyond belief. And it only started happening in the "New Economy".
ReplyDeleteI sure hope that QVC does not buy out HSN, I can not stand the QVC customer care and support whereas HSN has a truly wonderful and caring customer care they are my number one choice for shopping and I am not going to ever order anything else from them if they do sale out to QVC, as QVC is now a forbidden channel on my tv and I have deleted them...............
ReplyDelete