In a rapidly changing retail environment, QVC UK has made some key updates to its strategy by investing in tech innovation, modernising its broadcast techniques and celebrating people, personality and storytelling to find the perfect balance between shopping and entertainment.
Integrating the customer
In the current world, where bringing people closer together is both more difficult and more important than ever, QVC UK has used technology to overcome this challenge.
QVC has partnered with Quicklink – innovative technology that will allow the retailer to put the customer at the heart of its shows. QVC customers have regularly featured within the shows via phone, but they can now join virtually via video calls to offer valuable reviews that provide authentic and relatable content to the audience through peer to peer endorsement.
Experts from around the world, who would normally present live in the Chiswick studios, have also continued to feature on QVC virtually through video calls providing expert discussion on products and brands alike – between 25 March and 31 May, they completed over 500 video calls, proving a hit with their customers.
Adapting to customer trends: QVC UK said it has also been agile to adapt its programming to reflect consumer focuses and ensure its live shows remain relevant. For example, QVC UK is putting their home and garden products at the forefront since they have gained popularity while people are spending more time at home. (QVC UK has sold nearly 700,000 garden products and over 702,000 plants this year alone.)
Modernisation for a first in retail: additionally, QVC UK has also enhanced its educational value within live Beauty shows by implementing two-way cameras for their skincare and make up tutorial segments, allowing the audience to view the product demonstration in far closer detail, in a way that is rarely offered elsewhere in retail.
QVC UK’s ongoing strategy is to put the customer first and continually innovate through the use of technology and people. There has been a strong appetite for tuning in to QVC UK’s channels over the recent months, with figures showing that:
QVC UK’s main TV channel has seen an increase in viewership by 50% in the last three months (amongst heavily engaged customers, watching for more than three minutes) Source: TV Analytics
There has also been a 38% increase in digital sessions to QVCUK.com
Mike Tremain, QVC UK’s director of broadcasting, said: “QVC has always fostered a two-way relationship with our customers. Today, in a time of isolation, we’re looking at creative ways to engage our customers and involve them in our live broadcast shows. By using simple and effective technology, we’re able to overcome obstacles in our current world and allow QVC Presenters, Guests and Customers, within our community, to directly interact and share stories virtually on air.”
Richard Rees, Quicklink’s CEO and MD, said: “It has been fantastic working alongside QVC in revolutionising customer engagement in their live broadcast shows. It is great to be at the heart of QVC’s modernisation of broadcast techniques by enabling customers to be actively featured in the QVC programming. Quicklink’s technology has enabled QVC to increase the quality of the video calls whilst ensuring maximum control of the production remotely.”
Source: Retail Times