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Cashing in on the home shopping boom

Black Enterprise, Feb, 1995 by Cassandra Hayes

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RELATED ARTICLE: GETTING YOUR PRODUCTS ON THE AIR

"African-Americans will find that the greatest opportunity in home shopping will be in getting their products on the air," declares John E. Oxendine, chairman and president of Blackstar Communications Inc., and owner of three home shopping stations affiliated with HSN.

Both HSN and QVC look for a wide variety of unique, quality goods that will appeal to a broad spectrum of men and women. Exclusive product launches and first-time offers are also welcomed. Vendors wanting to get their products on one of the TV shopping stations should contact the respective networks and obtain a vendor kit. Inside will be a product description sheet that must be filled out for each item.

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Be prepared to answer questions regarding terms of the sale, price, liability insurance, warranties, patent numbers, if any, and the names of stores and catalogs carrying the product. Enclose a color catalog sheet or picture; it will help with the evaluation process, which can take up to three weeks.

QVC avoids products in the following categories: junior apparel, furs and fur-related products, guns and gun-related products, subscriptions, personalized items, 900 phone programs and service-related products. It is also unusual for QVC to accept retail items with a selling price of less than $15.

If your product is accepted, a sample will be requested. The sample must pass rigorous quality assurance requirements before it is approved. Once approved, the merchandising department will work out a sales plan for your product. Restrictions may also apply on the minimum amoun of merchandise they will accept, depending on the product.

QVC products must be individually packaged, labeled and shipped directly to its warehouses. (This is not a requirement with HSN.) Once the product has been processed and assigned to a warehouse, it is ready for television.

QVC recently launched a national campaign in search of merchandise across the country. QVC's "50 States in 50 Weeks" will run from January till December, and interviews with vendors and guests will be broadcast on QVC channels. For more information, call the vendor relations department at QVC at 601-701-1000. Call HSN's purchasing department at 813-572-8585.

Cashing in on the home shopping boom

Black Enterprise, Feb, 1995 by Cassandra Hayes

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