TV shopping channels were once the epicentre of modern shopping, allowing customers to snap up deals and order items from the comfort of their sofas. The presenter would demonstrate everything from clothing, accessories, crafts and cleaning items before opening the phones for an influx of orders. Celebrities would also make guest appearances to promote their products and brands.
The likes of Ruth Langsford , John Barrowman, Joan Collins and Catherine Zeta-Jones have made a fortune on the channels after appearing on QVC. However, after first launching during the 1980s, reports of TV shopping becoming a thing of the past emerged after Ideal World went into administration in 2023. Despite this, it was acquired by Shop TJC Limited, returned to screens two months later and provided insights into the business after celebrating its “biggest trading year” in 2021.
Ideal Shopping Direct, based in Peterborough is the UK’s leading multi-channel retailer and the owner of the Create and Craft and Ideal World TV channels. While other businesses were brutally affected by the pandemic, they boasted of record sales of £150.6million and profits of £8million the previous year.
Ideal Shopping Direct sells into more than 31million homes in the UK via UK shopping channels on Sky, Freeview, Freesat, Virgin and late-night ITV plus 35million homes in America and on its own websites. While viewers only see the products and presenters, there is a whole team behind the cameras, including camera .
