QVC Cuts 900 Jobs in Pivot to Social Shopping
Quick Take
- QVC Group cuts 900 U.S. jobs, impacting 5% of its global workforce.
- Company consolidates operations, moving HSN from Florida to Pennsylvania headquarters.
- New “WIN” strategy focuses on live social shopping across TikTok and other platforms.
- Revenue fell 4.8% in 2024 as traditional TV shopping continues to decline.
- Recent executive changes include naming Alex Wellen as president and chief growth officer.
QVC Group has eliminated 900 U.S. jobs as part of its major shift toward social media shopping. The company announced Thursday that most affected staff would end employment immediately while some stay temporarily to help transition operations.
The layoffs come as QVC moves HSN operations from St. Petersburg, Florida, to its West Chester, Pennsylvania headquarters. This consolidation started earlier this year when the company began centralizing its two shopping brands.
QVC faces mounting pressure from falling TV viewership. The company’s 2024 revenue dropped 4.8% to $9 billion as traditional shopping channels lose ground to online alternatives.
CEO David Rawlinson has pushed a three-part turnaround plan since November. The strategy aims to grow live shopping content, build a social shopping engine, and expand onto new platforms.
The company calls this its “WIN” approach: “Wherever She Shops,” “Inspiring People and Products,” and “New Ways of Working.”
TikTok plays a central role in QVC’s digital push. The company launched a TikTok Shop last August, attracting over 74,000 creators to feature QVC products in their posts.
QVC also plans to develop streaming options across YouTube TV, Hulu, and Netflix. The brand has already diversified its content with a late-night talk show hosted by Busy Philipps and live sports programming.
New leadership drives this transformation. Alex Wellen joined as president and chief growth officer this month, while Mike Fitzharris became president of QVC U.S. brand and chief operating officer in January.
Main image credit: Paul Wilson – AI/Photoshop “QVC and Social Media”