Qurate Retail Group Celebrates Black-Owned Brands & Founders with Multiple Black History Month Initiatives

WEST CHESTER, Pa., Feb. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- QVC®, HSN® and Zulily®, leaders in building brands through livestream video storytelling and personalized digital experiences, today announced multiple Black History Month initiatives that celebrate and support Black-owned businesses nationwide. These initiatives include:

• Launching several Black-owned brands discovered through QVC and HSN's 2021 The Big Find® product search;
• Highlighting Black-owned brands as part of the Small Business Spotlight program;
• Offering 2022 Black History Month celebration collections on QVC and HSN;
• Presenting dedicated digital livestreams and special on-air segments on QVC, QVC2 and HSN; and
• Making a $100,000 donation to the Black Women's Health Imperative.

"Our Black History Month initiatives are a part of our year-round commitment to celebrating the achievements and contributions of Black business leaders and all entrepreneurs, founders and creators," said Rob Robillard, SVP of Merchandising Home, Culinary, Electronics, and Merchandising Operations at Qurate Retail Group. "Black-owned small businesses are at the heart of communities across the U.S. and are critical to our efforts to offer innovative, high-quality products that appeal to our customers."

Qurate Retail Group offers Black-owned small businesses a robust platform for growth. The company is the largest player in video commerce ("vCommerce"), which includes video-driven shopping across linear TV, ecommerce sites, digital streaming and social platforms. In the U.S. alone, the company's vCommerce brands, QVC and HSN, reach a combined total of more than 80 million homes¹ via 5 television networks and reach millions more via multiple streaming services, social pages, mobile apps and websites. QVC and HSN achieve unparalleled customer engagement in their TV broadcasts, with more than 60 billion minutes viewed each year on the U.S. broadcast channels, and hundreds of millions of units purchased and shipped.² In addition, online retailer Zulily serves more than 5 million customers a year² and offers personalized shopping experiences featuring incredible deals, fresh styles, connection and entertainment.

Here's a closer look at each Black History Month initiative:

• The Big Find Brand Launches: Three brands are scheduled to launch this month on QVC and HSN: Simply Southern Sides (an assortment of Soul Food starters), CanDid Art (an artisanal jewelry, home décor and kids lifestyle brand), and Undefined Beauty (a beauty and wellness brand). These brands were among 26 Black-owned businesses that received "Big Tickets" at last summer's The Big Find pitch panels for the opportunity to launch their items on QVC and HSN throughout the year. The Big Find is QVC and HSN's international search for emerging brands in apparel, accessories, beauty, culinary, home décor and innovations, and electronics. A "Big Ticket" invites a brand for further discussion with QVC and HSN's merchandising team. Eighty-one percent of "Big Ticket" winners from the 2021 The Big Find search self-identified as either women-owned or minority-owned, reflecting QVC and HSN's commitment to developing a diverse and inclusive vendor community. Last year's search marked QVC and HSN's third year conducting The Big Find.
  
  
• Small Business Spotlight Returns: Approximately a dozen Black-owned businesses outside of Qurate Retail Group's vendor base will share their brand stories live on-air on QVC and HSN or on QVC2 and will be featured in a special, month-long event on Zulily, all through Qurate Retail Group's Small Business Spotlight. This initiative, now in its third year, supports entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups with national on-air and digital exposure, along with various other pro-bono, in-kind services. This marks the first time qualifying businesses will have the opportunity to sell on Zulily. QVC2 will run a special program with participating Black-owned businesses on February 15. Learn more about this month's participating businesses on QVC.com, HSN.com and Zulily.com. Approximately 160 small businesses have participated in the Small Business Spotlight so far, with many reporting double-digit or even higher increases in sales, new customers and/or customer contacts as a result. Qurate Retail Group plans to select at least 100 diverse small businesses for the program in 2022.
  
  
• QVC and HSN Celebration Collections: Beginning today and continuing throughout the month, customers can shop curated collections for Black History Month on QVC and HSN. The collections feature Black-owned brands and include products created especially for Black History Month and items from The Big Find search winners.
  
  
• Special Digital Livestreams and On-Air Programming: Throughout the month, customers can join live celebrations of Black entrepreneurship and heritage on QVC and HSN's digital and broadcast platforms:
  
• Livestreams: Every Tuesday throughout February, QVC Livestreams will feature Black entrepreneurs in a Black History Month livestream. QVC Livestreams is QVC's new livestreaming hub on QVC.com.
• Broadcast: Rachel Lindsay, the first Black lead in "The Bachelor" franchise, will join QVC live on-air as part of a day-long Black History Month Celebration airing February 8 on QVC and QVC2. Lindsay will discuss her new book, "Miss Me With That," which QVC is featuring throughout the month. QVC and QVC2's event will also feature a Today's Special Value® from Eu'Genia Shea, a Black-owned beauty brand. HSN's day-long Black History Month Celebration on February 9 will feature three Today's Specials from Antthony Design Originals, a Black-owned fashion brand, Buttah, a Black-owned skincare brand, and Professor Amos, a Black-owned cleaning brand. HSN will offer additional Black History Month Celebration segments on February 14, 21 and 28.
  
  
• Donation to the Black Women's Health Imperative: QVC and HSN are making a joint donation of $100,000 to this nonprofit, which works to ensure that all Black women and girls have optimal health and well-being in a socially just society. QVC and HSN are also inviting customers to amplify this gift by making their own donations when shopping the QVC and HSN Black History Month Celebration Collections.

To learn more about Qurate Retail Group's commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, visit https://www.qurateretailgroup.com/lp/diversity-equity-inclusion/.

1) As of Sept. 30, 2021. 2) Last 12 months ended September 30, 2021

About Qurate Retail Group
Qurate Retail Group^SM comprises seven leading retail brands – QVC®, HSN®, Zulily®, Ballard Designs®, Frontgate®, Garnet Hill® and Grandin Road® – all dedicated to providing a more human way to shop. Qurate Retail Group is the largest player in video commerce ("vCommerce"), which includes video-driven shopping across linear TV, ecommerce sites, digital streaming and social platforms. The retailer reaches more than 200 million homes worldwide via 14 television networks and reaches millions more via multiple streaming services, social pages, mobile apps, websites, print catalogs and in-store destinations. Qurate Retail Group combines shopping and entertainment to curate products, experiences, conversations and communities for millions of highly discerning shoppers. Headquartered in West Chester, Pa., Qurate Retail Group has team members in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan, Italy, Poland and China. For more information, visit www.qurateretailgroup.com, follow @QurateRetailGrp on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, or follow Qurate Retail Group on YouTube or LinkedIn.

Qurate Retail, Inc. (NASDAQ: QRTEA, QRTEB, QRTEP) includes the Qurate Retail Group portfolio of brands as well as other minority interests and green energy investments.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/qurate-retail-group-celebrates-black-owned-brands--founders-with-multiple-black-history-month-initiatives-301472481.html

SOURCE Qurate Retail Group