Hooked on TV shopping

MANILA, Philippines – If majority is addicted to social networking, television shopping has made many certified junkies not necessarily to shop but to discover new and innovative stuff.

A survey by Facebook of 100 respondents revealed that 72 percent of TV shopping viewers does so as entertainment — and not necessarily e-commerce. The intention to buy arises when there is an actual need or cash is available.

ABS-CBN ventured into the Skymall, a TV home shopping lifestyle channel in the ’90s. It closed down after a few years with a valuable business insight that it needed a strong and competent partner to succeed.

TV shopping offers unique products that are distinct from the Internet-based online shopping which can also be categorized as home shopping. Online shopping, however, is not necessarily TV shopping.

What makes TV shopping even more attractive is that it corrects the hassles of traditional shopping, such as parking troubles, extremely large malls (consider searching just to buy a steam iron) and queues at the checkout counters. What starts as fun turns boring.

Aired on “dead hours” as advertising block, usually before and after regular programming (although GMA News TV airs it at early afternoon). TV shopping can easily be made via phone or Internet and the orders delivered for free.

Cara with co-host Leslie Lina

Merchandise sells frequently at discounted prices, large items available in installment plan, usually without interest. To impel viewers to make a quick purchasing decision, TV shopping usually comes with a freebie as attractive as buy one, take one.

TV shopping also fully uses the Internet for marketing purpose. It is also available on smart and android phones as an app. There are now 10 TV shopping programs with GMA joining the craze on free TV stations.                 

Among them are Shop TV which is 24-hour shopping that sells advertised products on the Home Shopping Network in the US. Operated by Solar Entertainment Corporation, Shop TV with localized price and ordering data airs on 2nd Avenue, Basketball TV, BEAM TV, GMA Network, GMA News TV, etc,  Jack TV and Solar Sports.

TV Shop Philippines, on the other hand, airs on IBC, Cignal, Living Asia Channel, Telenovela Channel, People’s Television and BEAM TV. TV5 has Shop Japan.

ABS-CBN Corporation found a partner in the Korea-based home shopping giant CJ O Shopping Corp. when it reentered into the business in 2013.

Hosts Lesli Lina, Victor Anastacio, Hiyasmin Neri, Sandro Hermoso and Cara Eriguel, among others, work mostly in tandem. One demonstrates the product while the other explains the benefits, complete with sensuous oohs and aahs.                                               

While other networks use canned episodes with American or Asian-looking models, O Shopping puts professional panache by producing episodes in easy-to-understand language incorporating professionally made videos of on ABS-CBN, Sky, Destiny, iWant TV and People’s Television.

Habits die hard including shopping that people largely consider now as amusement.

Victor with Hiyasmin Neri and a Korean guest