O Shopping, anyone?

Technology has really changed the way people do things. We saw evidence of this during the recent Typhoon Yolanda disaster, when relief efforts and news moved quickly and reached more people in less time, thanks to social media.

Television also played a big part in disseminating information. Today, television is used for all sorts of things, including shopping. ABS-CBN was actually among the first to tap into the huge shopping market when it launched the SkyCable-supported Sky Mall in the ’90s. It was an idea ahead of its time but was unfortunately short-lived. The network closed it down a few years later and walked away with a valuable lesson, which was that to make the home TV shopping habit stick with Filipinos, it needed a strong and competent partner that knew the business. They found it in CJ O Shopping Corporation, one of the largest home shopping companies in the world that also has presence in Shanghai, Tianjin and Guangzhou in China, as well as in India, Vietnam, Thailand, Japan and Turkey. ABS-CBN and CJ O Shopping have teamed up to launch O Shopping which started broadcasting 24/7 shopping programs via SkyCable and Global Destiny on Channel 11, as well as programs through ABS-CBN’s Channel 2 and Studio 23 last Oct. 15. O Shopping’s programs air around the clock daily on SkyCable and Destiny Channel 11, and airs programs on Studio 23, at 1 to 2 a.m. and 5 to 6 a.m. from Mondays to Fridays and at 1 to 2 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, and on ABS-CBN Channel 2 after Banana Nite from Mondays to Fridays, after Sports Unlimited on Saturdays and after Sunday’s Best on Sundays.

Viewers have the opportunity to choose from a wide range of products from kitchenware to home, exercise and beauty products at reasonable prices. O Shopping’s products include a home power laundry rack, a stovetop oven, a double pan (currently its most popular and saleable product), a 3D rolling hair styler, a roller slide, a handblender, among others. It also offers a complete line of Juan Dela Cruz merchandise available, Kris Aquino-branded products and UAAP merchandise. The people behind O Shopping conducted focus group discussions (FGDs) prior to the launch to find out what the market needed in terms of products. They found that saving time was a major concern of Filipino consumers. Functionality was also very important. “So most of what we offer are reliable, useful and time-saving products,” says Star Magic artist Hiyasmin Neri, who is one of the channel’s resident hosts. The others are Victor Anastacio, Charlotte Barredo, Cara Eriguel, Lara Sayo and Virginia Pozon.

“The nature of our products is designed for working women and moms at home. We will have products for men, the household in general, and at some point, even products that cater to children. As we roll out more products, we will cater to the entire family,” says Paolo Pineda, head of ABS-CBN Business Development. Pineda said that O Shopping will also eventually offer cosmetic products and other merchandise that will be demanded by its customers. “Eventually we will serve what the market will demand. We will find a way to get feedback and comments from people who buy our products, as long as there is interest and a sizeable market,” he said.

“TV home shopping is nothing new to our (ABS-CBN) group,” said network chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III during the channel’s official launch. During the gathering which was attended by officials of both ABS-CBN and CJ O Shopping of Korea, the ABS-CBN chairman bared that the network has been working with its Korean partner for the past 18 months. Based on that — and the results of a two-week test broadcast period—he said “I think we have definitely made the right choice. The results have been very encouraging.”

Pineda is very optimistic about the future of O Shopping. “We felt that in the products, added to our reach and our audience, we felt that we could create a strong proposition to the consumers.”