Behind the Scenes at QVC

This semester, I had the opportunity to work as a merchandise buying intern at QVC, where I supported the gardening team. During my time at QVC, I have developed a deeper understanding about the retail world and all of the behind-the-scenes processes that are a part of the business. I have also gained insight about the importance of the company’s “women over 50” customer and how QVC’s products tell a story about her. Because QVC has a live studio inside of the headquarters, I was able to have a unique experience of handling on-air items and the processes that go along with that.

Throughout this experience, I learned to utilize QVC’s online programs to create purchase orders, analyze sales history, submit quality assurance reports, and do comparative shopping. These processes have taught me the importance of market awareness and how to look through the eyes of the customer rather than relying solely on personal taste.

I have also been working on a final presentation that involves filling a “whitespace” at QVC. This includes introducing a new product, concept, or brand that the company does not currently offer and that would support benefit our target consumer. This project has encouraged me to take initiative in exploring new products and brands, while also providing me with an opportunity to be creative.

My supervisor has been a great mentor during my time at this position. Because she has been a buyer with QVC for almost ten years, she is extremely knowledgeable about the business and has thoroughly answered any and all questions I have had. During vendor meetings, I have observed that she has strong negotiation skills and is able to maintain great relationships with several vendor representatives.

Going into the position, I had thought the buying process would mostly involve product selection and predicting product trends. While this is a part of the position, the role involves much more data analysis and online processes than I had initially thought. Though there were a wider variety of responsibilities than I had anticipated, gaining confidence in these processes was very rewarding.

Advice I would give to other interns is to absorb as much knowledge and meet as many people as possible. This means asking questions and being open to learning whatever you can from current employees as well as other interns. There are many people that have worked at QVC for a long time that have valuable experience and are willing to share what they know. Though the start of a new internship may feel overwhelming, it is important to keep an open mind and have confidence that you will be able to pick up on new skills faster than you may think. Overall, interning at QVC has been a very valuable and rewarding learning experience that has allowed me to make connections and build confidence in new areas.