Home-shopping network Evine Live has never made a habit of trumpeting its holiday plans, at least not in the way that mass merchandisers like Target, Macy's and Walmart do. But after years of turnover at the top and rumors of being a potential takeover target, the Eden Prairie-based company decided to start plotting this year's holiday strategy last January.
This week the company announced a campaign that includes exclusive boutique brands and a dozen sales specials that will roll out between now and January 2019 in hopes of drawing shoppers to its cable TV shows, online site and mobile apps.
Among its offerings are an exclusive debut of Paula Deen bath and body products, Mackenzie-Childs hand-painted home décor, jewelry by Kwan Collections and Karl Lagerfeld handbags, which debuted only recently and quickly "exceeded forecasted goals," spokeswoman Liz Joseph said.
In August Evine brought in a new president, Anne Martin-Vachon, who arrived from the Canadian multiplatform e-commerce company Today's Shopping Choice. While there, Martin-Vachon was credited with turning the company around and having "the instinct to curate a product assortment that shoppers want."
Evine considers itself in the third year of a three-year turnaround, and this year's holiday season could be key. With a strong economy and slowly rising wages, retailers are looking for ways to grab consumers' attention, touting exclusive products and special discounts for loyal customers.
Evine is a distant third-place player to QVC and HSN.
"Because of our early planning, we were able to strategically create an exciting assortment across all of our product categories," Martin-Vachon said in a statement. "…As storytellers, we are looking forward to bringing these stories to life."
