April McClung, the owner of Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes in Birmingham, appeared in four segments on QVC throughout the day Wednesday.
The segments are part of the network’s Small Business Spotlight, a collaboration with the National Retail Federation to spotlight Black-owned small businesses as they navigate operating during the difficult retail period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The current phase of the program, which kicked off Aug. 12 and ends in mid-October, will highlight 20 Black-owned businesses with television spots on QVC and HSN, as well as features on Quarate Retail Group websites and social media accounts.
McClung appeared in four television segments Wednesday– 11 a.m. and 8 p.m. on QVC USA and 12:55 p.m. and 9:55 p.m. on HSN.
The past few months have been a busy time for McClung, who was recently named as one of 12 new members of the Birmingham chapter of Les Dames d’Escoffier, one of the county’s most prestigious professional societies for women working in the food, beverage, and hospitality industries.
McClung, like many of her peers in culinary retail, pivoted her revenue model to adapt to the difficult and unpredictable times of operating during the world-wide public health crisis. Before the pandemic hit, McClung had been a vendor at Sam’s Club road shows for nearly four years.
Road shows, the wholesale retailer’s program offering a display of items staffed with personnel to give samples to customers, were more of a way for McClung to showcase her brand of cakes than bring in direct sales.
For more information on Emily’s Heirloom Pound Cakes you can visit her website at www.emilysheirloompoundcakes.com.