HSN shoppers place orders with remote controls

Wed., Aug. 16, 2006

Anne D'innocenzio Associated Press

Home shopping network HSN is offering another way for shoppers to buy clothing, jewelry and the like: using their TV remote-control pad.

The new shop-by-remote interactive TV service quietly began testing in Hawaii at the beginning of the year, while trial service in parts of the New York market began a few months ago.

HSN plans to roll out the service nationwide over the next several quarters.

“We are introducing one market at a time,” said Scott Sanborn, the network’s vice president of marketing. “We are very encouraged by what we see.”

Company officials estimated that HSN so far has generated several hundred thousands of dollars through the shop-by-remote service without any marketing to support it.

HSN’s home shopping rival, QVC, launched a shop-by-remote TV service in September 2001 in Britain, which is doing “very well” according to Mark Suckle, chief executive officer of QVC UK. QVC officials declined to comment on their plans for the U.S.

The HSN shop-by-remote launch comes as home shopping networks are aiming to be everywhere the customer is. QVC offers a service in Japan where consumers can shop on their cell phones and plans to offer shopping videos on Internet portals sites. HSN will be test selling its goods on mobile phones next year.

HSN’s shop-by-remote TV service allows digital cable customers to immediately purchase any item presented during a regular broadcast with a few clicks of their remote control.

Shoppers press the select button and use the arrow keys to navigate. Their name and address pops up; their credit card information is already stored with HSN.

Customers can order the product that’s being aired as well as the two products that aired before it and the daily special, launched every night at midnight.

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