Quietly, with little fanfare, QVC has been the number one network for home shopping for decades. The company is huge and successful-and yet a fierce competitor has emerged to take its crown. QVC’s numbers and revenue are impressive, but QVC does have a weakness: a lack of innovation.
There are many QVC competitors, some big and some small-but in this article, we’ll discuss the 10 best QVC competitors and alternatives and other channels that offer similar shopping experiences to QVC.
1. Shop LC.
Shop LC was the first home shopping competitor to QVC. Launched in 1996, the channel was mainly devoted to those who liked to shop in physical stores, such as department stores or boutiques. It also provided a helpful directory for navigating around a retail store.
Over time, Shop LC began to grow significantly. The channel’s distribution expanded and it also became available on cable systems.
Shop LC signed multi-year deals to provide more shopping choices and increased its programming content, but the channel was always known for its extensive sourcing of products. Many of the products are available nowhere else.
In 2010, Shop LC changed its name to HSN.com, with the new slogan “You’ve Got Questions, We’ve Got Answers.
This new positioning is designed to let consumers know that HSN.com is an e-commerce destination devoted to providing a quality experience, just like QVC. Plus, the HSN.com site has an impressive range of home and beauty products.
2. Stoneberry
Stoneberry is a home shopping network that started in 1991. The channel started as a joint venture between Home Shopping Network, Inc. and New World Communications Group.
The channel was launched to provide a TV shopping channel for the baby boom generation to enjoy. Stoneberry’s TV commercials were very different from those of QVC.
The channel’s name came from the Stoneberry ranch in Texas, which was owned by one of the owners of New World Communications.
The goal of Stoneberry was to provide an upscale shopping experience, with high-quality products. Many of the merchants on Stoneberry also appeared on Home Shopping Network when it was still focused on a more traditional demographic.
Today, the channel is known as the Shopping Channel, and you can still see the Stoneberry name on-screen during some of the commercials. The Shopping Channel is available on cable channels and over-the-air stations.
3. The Shopping Channel
The Shopping Channel, launched in 1990, is an ailing TV shopping channel that was once part of the infomercial giant Home Shopping Network.
The channel mostly carries women’s clothing and accessories, with items being sold from private sellers. It also has its TV show, called “The Upper Crust” which airs on Sundays.
The channel was owned by Troy-based Home Shopping Network, Inc. (HSNI), but today the channel is owned by HSN’s competitor, ShopNBC. HSNI launched five other channels in addition to The Shopping Channel, but those channels have since been canceled.
4. ShopHQ
ShopHQ is owned by HSNI, the same company that owns The Shopping Channel. ShopHQ is a bargain shopping channel that was launched in 2009.
It has a wide range of products, and the goods are generally new. ShopHQ is primarily aimed at “hard-to-shop” women who may not have the budget to buy new products from competitors like QVC.
ShopHQ has a similar look and feels to the QVC home shopping channel, but it features different programming and commercials than QVC. The channel isn’t available on cable TV, which makes it more difficult for customers to find.
5. Shop Now Television
Shop Now Television is one of the newer TV shopping channels, having launched in 2010.
ShopHQ was launched to fill a void in HSN’s channel lineup – an affordable shopping channel. ShopHQ is a very different channel from The Shopping Channel, with very few women’s clothing and accessories.
They also have a good amount of home and garden products. Their prices are very competitive, but ShopHQ does not have the same number of products or name-brand merchants as other TV shopping channels do.
6. Fingerhut.
Fingerhut is a former QVC competitor that was a direct competitor to HSN. The channel was associated with the same company that owns HSN – Home Shopping Network, Inc.
Fingerhut was launched in 2000 to target the older, more traditional demographic. The channel also has a lot of home and beauty products.
Fingerhut’s main competitor was HSN, which is owned by the same company that owns Fingerhut: Home Shopping Network, Inc. Fingerhut was discontinued in 2010. In 2010, the channel shut down and many of its programs were moved to The Shopping Channel.
7. Saks Fifth Avenue
Saks Fifth Avenue is a luxury department store. It has been operated by Saks Inc, based in New York City, since 2005. The company became famous for a variety of brands and its high-quality goods.
One of the most famous brands is Saks Fifth Avenue, which operates approximately 1,200 stores all over the world. After the 2013 merger with Lord & Taylor, Saks Inc. became known as Saks Inc.
Saks Fifth Avenue offers a wide range of high-quality goods, including clothing and accessories from brands like Prada and Armani.
8. Ginny’s.
Ginny’s is a small home shopping network that is commonly known as Ginny’s TV. The channel was launched in 1994, and it originally sold only furniture, but over time it began to sell other types of items. Today, the channel has products like jewelry, kitchenware, and home decor.
Ginny’s is a channel that offers a variety of products – they have more than 26,000 shopping items in their inventory. The company also operates an e-commerce web store. They also have their TV show that’s broadcast online. There is also a live streaming option to watch the show on the website or from your mobile device.
It is a very popular shopping site and has won numerous awards for being the best in e-commerce.
9. Tupperware
Tupperware is a very big home shopping network that was launched in 1987. It has approximately 8,000 products and they sell everything from jewelry to cosmetics. Tupperware is an old-school-style home shopping channel.
Tupperware is one of the biggest e-commerce sites and is also known for its TV commercials. They have lots of items and they do not charge a membership fee.
Tupperware’s shows are called “Buying Tupperware”, and they show how to use different types of Tupperware products.
They also have specials where they get in touch with top celebrities and upcoming stars to talk about products on their TV show. They also have a feature on the channel called “Tupperware On-Line”. This is where you can speak live to a Tupperware representative to get help with your purchase.
10. Monroe and Main
Monroe and Main is a shopping channel that was launched in 1999. Monroe and Main target the older demographic, similar to HSN.
The channel focuses on jewelry, kitchenware, and home decor. The channel also has a lot of gift bags and games, as well as some clothing.
Monroe and Main were based out of Sewell, New Jersey. In November 2018, Monroe and Main decided to close their doors.
On December 8, 2018, the company announced that the channel would be renamed. On April 15, 2019, the channel officially rebranded as “Style TV”, and it is now available in about 140 million homes.
The channel will include a mix of programming, including lifestyle and cooking shows, new and trending jewelry pieces, and many more.
The benefit of Style TV is that it is available on all major cable and satellite channels, as well as digital video recorders.
11. Little Woods.
Little Woods is another small home shopping network that was launched in 2015. The main page of the site said that Little Woods is a company that is dedicated to creative styling solutions for your home, and that’s exactly what they sell. Their products include kitchen & tabletop, apparel, accessories, and more.
Little Woods is a more modern style of home shopping channel, where they have many videos on their website that are fun and interactive.
Little Woods is available on all the major digital platforms, and there is also a feature called “We’ve got you covered” that a customer can use to chat live with someone who can help them with one of their products.
The little woods website is above and beyond for website features. They have a chat option, a video library, and many more features that set them apart from the other home shopping networks.
Conclusion
Home shopping has changed over the decades, and as technology becomes more popular, so does home shopping.
In general, today’s home shopping channels are focused on modern and useful items, as opposed to products that are purely for decorative purposes.
Some of the most popular modern channels are Little Woods, QVC, and The Shopping Channel. Although these channels do not sell as many products as they used to, they offer a wide variety of goods.
They also offer more name-brand products than other home shopping networks.
The shopping channels today focus more on entertainment and social interaction as well. This makes the shopping experience easier for the consumer, as it is becoming more personalized, and it is fun to see what your friends are allowed to purchase.