Pop-up stores can do a lot for a retailer, including test a geographic region, spur sales and experiment with new concepts. For QVC’s holiday pop-up house in New York City, the main goal was to increase brand awareness, said Rosalia Bucaro, Chief Merchandising Officer at QVC.
“We’re trying to get our brand out there and get people to understand who QVC is in today’s modern age,” Bucaro said.
And that could mean acquiring new customers or bringing QVC to the forefront of a previous customer’s mind, who hasn’t shopped with the retailer in a bit, Bucaro said.
QVC is known for its shopping TV channel, which generates billions of dollars in revenue every year. QVC owns HSN, and both brands have a substantial ecommerce business selling home goods, cosmetics, apparel and more. In 2024, QVC Group generated roughly $10 billion in revenue and the QVC and HSN brands generated 64% of their revenue online through their ecommerce websites.
QVC’s Holiday House Pop-Up
The week before Thanksgiving, Nov. 19-20, QVC hosted its pop-up as a Mrs. Claus-themed house. About 1,500 shoppers came to the pop-up over the two days, which exceeded QVC’s target. Bucaro declined to share revenue generated from the event.
QVC tapped influencer Kathy Hilton to portray Mrs. Claus for the pop-up. The brand set up the pop-up like a house, with each room displaying a part of the brand’s assortment, such as a dining room with a holiday decor tablescape, a closet area for Mrs. Claus to get dress with outfits QVC sells, and a kitchen set up for live product demonstrations. In each room shoppers could scan a QR code to view more information those products and then order them online.
TikTok Extends Reach of the Pop-Up
The event was also a “TikTok Super Brand Day.” This is a type of marketing campaign on the social platform that gives brands high-visibility, such as a takeover on social feeds showcasing that brand’s promotions and all-day shopping livestreams. QVC streamed content and product demonstrations at the holiday house on TikTok, which extended the reach of the activation.
“It wasn’t just about the people who were in the holiday house that day,” Bucaro said. “It really became this multi-platform retail experience, and that’s who we are. We’re about telling the customer who we are, what we are, what they need from us each and every day.”
Product demonstrations are key to QVC’s brand, as live selling is what QVC is known for on TV. This expertise translates well to TikTok, where it now has one million followers, Bucaro said. Shoppers of all ages are turning to TikTok to discover products, including shoppes over 50 years old, she said.
“We’ve taken our signature strength in live storytelling, and we’ve brought it to a 24/7 format for TikTok,” she said. “It allows us to reach a new generation of shoppers as well as our shopping demographic who just happens to be shopping on TikTok. Again, we want to be top of-mind for her wherever she is shopping.”
In terms of tracking shopper engagement at the pop-up, QVC is using TikTok sales and interactions, and the QR codes scans. The brand did not gather any customer emails address associated with the event.
Marketing the QVC Pop-Up
To generate buzz about the pop-up, the retailer promoted it on its TV channel and ran a campaign announcing Hilton as Mrs. Claus in October. QVC also hosted a pajama party with Hilton to build excitement for the store.
“Between our media previews, our talent interviews, the social amplification we took part in, and a steady stream of organic content on our own channels, really helped us to advertise that this event was coming to life,” Bucaro said.
Along with Hilton, QVC tapped its other prominent brand ambassadors including Hoda Kotb, Melissa Rivers, Stacy London, Joy Bauer and Babs Costello, to be present at the event.
How the Pop-Up Fits into QVC’s Marketing Strategy
The holiday pop-up was the first time QVC brought together its broadcast talent, its TikTok shop and online shoppability in one spot, Bucaro said. Previous in-person activations, such as its Foodie Fest or presence at the USA Pickleball National Championships, were more about creating content and less about product selling.
QVC still has no intention today of opening physical retail stores, Bucaro said, and is more focused on creating “immersive experiences” for shoppers in whatever form that might be, she said.
“Experiencing retail is not about a spectacle,” Bucaro said. “It’s about storytelling, product discovery and community building.”
Like for any retailer, the holidays are a key shopping period for QVC. Bucaro did not disclose how the holiday season is going for the brand so far, only that the customer is coming to the table to find products but she is “fickle.”
“This year has been tumultuous for the consumer in general,” Bucaro said. “The customer and retailers have been thrown a number of curve balls.”
