• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, May 8, 2025

QVC’s big bet on social commerce isn’t paying off — yet.  First-quarter sales at the video shopping giant fell 10% to $2.34 billion.

The company chalked the poor performance up to ongoing declines in linear TV viewership and sharp pullbacks in consumers’ discretionary spending.

While neither of those trends is surprising, industry observers are keeping a close eye on QVC, as the company limps from the legacy channels of home-shopping networks to social media commerce, where many brands are finding eager audiences. And the live-shopping company recently announced a partnership with TikTok.

CEO David Rawlinson framed the TikTok deal — targeting women over 50 — as a groundbreaking move, calling it “a first of its kind partnership for 24/7 content creation.” He said the effort is an example of more partnerships to come, as QVC struggles to regain some relevance.

The Englewood, Colorado-based company swung to a net loss of $91 million, compared to net income of $8 million in the first quarter of 2024. Those declines stem from previously announced charges for a restructuring plan.

Meanwhile, the company keeps introducing the kinds of product offers that resonate with the core audience of older women. Recent launches include the debut of Below 60, a home fragrance line from actor Hilary Duff, with plug-in diffusers and signature scents.

QVC also recently expanded offers from perennial pitchwoman Martha Stewart, expanding offers in apparel, culinary, gardening and home décor.

But citrus scents and Martha-designed bird feeders aren’t enough to tempt women back to buying. “Our consumer remains heavily distracted by current events,” Rawlinson said in an earnings call webcast for investors. “In the U.S., there was a sharp year-over-year shift on linear television to news and business content consumption, which were both up double digits. Based on ComScore data, overall television viewership was down, led by decreases in general entertainment, shopping and lifestyle viewing, which were all down between high single digits and mid-teens.”

But so far, even high-profile partnerships and legacy brand expansions haven’t been enough to reignite growth or convince aging fans to follow QVC into the TikTok age.