QVC was founded in 1986 by Joseph Segel, an entrepreneur who saw an opportunity to create a new and engaging shopping experience through television broadcasts. He named the company QVC to represent its three guiding principles: Quality, Value, and Convenience. These values were created to build trust with consumers, creating lifetime, avid fans. Today, QVC is the world's leading video and ecommerce retailer, offering a curated collection of desirable brands to millions of customers around the globe each day through broadcast, Internet, and mobile sales platforms. QVC is the world's top multimedia shopping company in terms of viewers and revenue and ranks among the top online mass merchandise retailers. QVC's 2013 sales generated $8.6B in annual revenues, $3.2B of which came from ecommerce. In 2013, 31% of ecommerce orders came from mobile platforms, and QVC US was ranked as the second largest multi-category retailer in mobile, according to the Internet Retailer Mobile 500. QVC is available in 300 million homes worldwide through its broadcast programming in the U.S., U.K., Germany, Japan, Italy and a joint venture in China. QVC shipped more than 169 million products in 2013 to these markets. QVC has an impressive TV presence in all of its markets. QVC personalities host themed shows throughout the day engaging viewers, highlighting products in different categories, and providing shoppers with useful information in an entertaining format. QVC is more than just live video content. It is changing the way the world shops by re-imagining shopping, entertainment and social as one. Leveraging its multichannel platforms, QVC is enabling its customers to customize their experiences. Plus, QVC has created a family of mobile shopping applications for smartphones and tablets. Leveraging social networks, QVC has well over one million Facebook fans around the world who blog, comment, “like”, and share 24/7. Many of our products have features that are exclusive to QVC and its customers. Leading product categories include beauty, electronics, home goods, apparel and accessories, and jewelry. Based outside of Philadelphia in West Chester, PA, QVC has 17,000 employees worldwide. The company has state-of-the-art broadcast and eCommerce operations at its corporate headquarters, known as "Studio Park," as well as studios in all its global markets. QVC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Liberty Interactive Corporation (NASDAQ: LINTA) (formerly known as Liberty Media Corporation) and represents the majority of revenue for Liberty Interactive Corporation. Liberty Interactive Corporation took full ownership of QVC in 2003 when it bought the portion of the company that had been owned by Comcast.
