QVC’s core customer base has always been women aged 50 and older. And yet, this group has been overlooked by retailers for years, despite the fact that women over 50 have a combined spending power of $15 trillion. Despite the fact that they represent the largest demographic with incomes higher than $100,000, according to AARP. Despite the fact that they control big-dollar decisions in their households.

“Through the years we’ve pivoted away from her to go after the shinier, sexier demographic — either the young 20 somethings who would make us cool on social media, or the millennials who are much younger and have much more life ahead of them,” Annette Dunleavy, QVC’s vice president of brand marketing, said during a panel on retail transformation success stories at the 2024 Women in Retail Leadership Summit.

After several quarters of declining growth for Qurate Retail Group — which QVC is a part of along with HSN, among other brands — the video commerce retailer launched its transformation plan, Project Athens, in June 2022. The three-year turnaround plan was designed to stabilize and differentiate Qurate’s core businesses and expand the company’s leadership in video streaming commerce. It included ways to cut costs, reinvest in customer growth, develop and iterate the company’s streaming services, and more.

Dunleavy’s focus during this transformation has been on the customer — specifically women aged 50 and older.

“Why we ever wanted to look away from them [women aged 50 and older] I don’t know,” Dunleavy said, adding that it took a lot of work to shift the mindset back to seeing the value of the 50-plus female consumer.

To that end, QVC in April launched a new campaign, the Age of Possibility, that championed women over 50 and aimed to build a community and platform for this core group to come together to share their experiences.

To celebrate the launch of the Age of Possibility campaign, the QVC team brought 50 women together — the Quintessential 50, comprised of QVC hosts, celebrities, activists, entrepreneurs and more — this spring in Las Vegas for a one-day summit comprising compelling conversation, creative inspiration, and cultural truths. The group included celebrities such as Christina Applegate, Queen Latifah, Naomi Watts, Patti LaBelle, Rita Wilson, Sherri Shepherd, Sandra Lee, and Kathie Lee Gifford; public figures including Billie Jean King, Donna Kelce, and Tamsen Fadal; influential leaders including Dr. Mary Claire Haver, Karen Knudsen, and Joy Bauer; and friends and vendors of QVC such as Martha Stewart, Mally Roncal, Carla Hall, and Kim Gravel.

“We wanted to demonstrate that for any woman of any age, anything is possible,” said Dunleavy. “These women are living lives that demonstrate that anything is possible over 50.”

Dunleavy said most of the women didn’t know each other, and QVC didn’t know if the message of the Age of Possibility campaign would resonate with them. What they found once they brought the women together was that the message was bigger than QVC. The message Dunleavy heard after the one-day summit is that women over 50 are tired of not being seen in advertising and not having brands focus on them.

“It’s almost like we started this movement that’s much bigger than us,” Dunleavy added.

Dunleavy said for most of her team, the last six months have included tasks they had never done before. That is what transformation is all about.

“If you’re not uncomfortable in your transformation journey, you may not be pushing hard enough,” noted Dunleavy.

Dunleavy was joined on stage at the Women in Retail Leadership Summit by Kelly Cook, president, brand, technology and finance, David’s Bridal; and Sarah Veit Wallis, chief operating officer of Minted. The panel was moderated by Lori Cope, senior vice president and general manager, TJX Rewards Program, Synchrony.

Women in Retail Leadership Circle (WIRLC) members can hear the other panelists’ transformation success stories by watching the full session on-demand. Not a member? Apply today!