For Qurate Retail Group, cultivating inclusive environments is both a human issue and a business issue. We believe this is the right thing to do. We also believe that a culture of diversity, belonging, and fairness can fuel engagement and innovation, leading to better business performance and stronger communities.
Our commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion is deeply rooted in our company’s Principles, which call on us to Drive Progress, Act With Empathy, Be Brave, Embrace the Future, and Do What’s Right. We recognize this is a journey, and we know we have plenty of work ahead of us. We intend to do what it takes to make a meaningful difference in this space, in order to empower our teams, our partners, and the communities in which we live and work.
We have announced specific, five-year goals for how we will support and advance underrepresented groups on Qurate Retail Group’s leadership team and across its workforce, vendors/suppliers, customers, and communities.
Increase diverse representation in our supervisory and leadership roles
Develop inclusive leaders who are accountable for DE&I results
Advance inclusion and equity for our teams, customers, and communities
Elevate underrepresented businesses and products to invite a broader consumer base
Support community involvement through relationships that advance social justice
Hold ourselves accountable by being transparent on our efforts and progress
Our team member resources groups (TMRGs) are voluntary, team member-run groups, formed to advise and work on topics that matter to our communities.
They are ambassadors of our DE&I approach and enablers of the change towards more inclusive workplace environments where all team members can thrive. TMRGs help to create awareness, build connections, and enhance career development. Ultimately, TMRGs help to support business goals and drive positive impact in our local communities.
Each TMRG is open to all team members, including those who identify as members of a particular community and those who are interested or want to learn more and/or be allies.
Affinity Focus | TMRG Name |
---|---|
Age | Age (China Sourcing Team) Our Stage (QVC Germany) |
Asian American and Pacific Islander | REACH (Representation & Equity by Advocating the AAPI Community, with Hope for Humanity) |
Black | BELIEVE (Black Employees Leading in Inclusion, Education, Vision, & Engagement) (QVC US & HSN) |
Faith and Religion | InterFaith |
Gender/Women | C.H.A.N.G.E (Creating Headway & Normalizing Gender Equality) (QVC UK) Gender (China Sourcing Team) Gender (QVC Japan) Gender Empowerment (QVC Germany) ItAlly (QVC Italy) Women’s Initiative Network (WIN) (QVC US & HSN) |
General | Empowered Team (Global Business Services in Poland General (QVC UK, QVC Italy, & QVC Japan) |
Hispanic/Latinx | ALMA (Advancement of Latinx Mission & Advocacy) (QVC US & HSN) |
LGBTQ+ | Rumore (QVC Italy) LGBTQ+ (QVC Japan) Pride in Me (QVC UK) QRG Proud (QVC US & HSN) Queer & Allies (QVC Germany) |
Mental Health | Every M;nd Counts (QVC UK) Mental Health (QVC Japan) Mental Health (China Sourcing Team) |
Parents and Caregivers | BaLaNCE (Balancing Life's Never-ending Challenges Effortlessly) |
People of Color | B.R.A.V.E (Backgrounds Represented & Valued Everywhere) (QVC UK) Colorful Q (QVC Germany) Multiculturalitá (QVC Italy) Ethnicity+Age (QVC Japan) |
People with Disabilities | Ability (QVC Italy) Accessibility Allies (QVC UK) Disability+Age (QVC Japan) SQUID, INC. (Supporting Qurate Individuals with Disabilities, INCluding those who support & love individuals with disabilities) Together With & Without Disabilities (QVC Germany) |
Social Origin | UMatter! (Your origin counts!) (QVC Germany) |
Veterans | Vets@QRG |
In 2022, Qurate Retail Group℠ expanded its Small Business Spotlight program to further support entrepreneurs from underrepresented groups by giving participants more opportunities for national exposure on QVC®and HSN®. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. It is currently expected that at least 100 diverse businesses will be selected for the program in 2022, adding to the approximately 160 small businesses that participated in the program through the end of 2021. The 2022 participants will appear live on-air on QVC, HSN or QVC2 during one of seven heritage and recognition months in 2022: Black History Month (in February), Women’s History Month (in March), Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month and National Military Appreciation Month (both in May), Pride Month (in June), National Hispanic Heritage Month (September 15 – October 15), and National Disability Employment Awareness Month (in October). QVC and HSN reach a combined total of more than 90 million homes via 5 television networks and reach millions more via multiple streaming services, social pages, mobile apps and websites.
2021 on-air Small Business Spotlight participants responding to our survey reported that they more than doubled their sales following their on-air appearance.
These respondents also reported an average 78% increase in website traffic, a 41% increase in number of customers and a 26% increase in email subscribers!
We continue to prioritize size inclusivity across our apparel lines, building on our 30-plus year commitment to size-inclusive fashion. In September 2020, QVC and HSN hosted “Inclusively You,” our first-ever size inclusive and body positive summit. The virtual event gave attendees the opportunity to engage with some of the most influential women in body positivity through fireside chats, a beauty panel, and guidance on finding your perfect fit. The event featured Hunter McGrady, founder of the All Worthy Hunter McGrady fashion line, which we helped her create and which launched at QVC in 2020.
Along with our internal efforts on enhancing belonging and equity, we undertook several actions with organizations to enable broader, more systemic change. This included offering a 100% match to U.S. team members donating to causes that support racial and social justice as well as a $1 million donation to the Equal Justice Initiative, in support of its commitment to end mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., challenge racial and economic injustice, and protect basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society. We also joined hands with the following organizations on cultivating inclusion and supporting our communities:
Mike George, President and CEO, Qurate Retail, Inc., has signed the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion, the largest CEO-driven pledge to advance diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace. More than 1,600 CEOs, representing leading companies and organizations worldwide, have signed the pledge and are using their collective voices to promote meaningful change on this important issue.
Civic Alliance is a non-partisan group of businesses working together to build a future where everyone participates in shaping our country. Our CEO signed the 100% In for Democracy initiative from Civic Alliance in 2020 calling for safe access to the polls for all voters to ensure every American has a voice in our democracy.
In September 2020, Qurate Retail Group joined more than 1,000 companies in Time to Vote, a non-partisan, business-led initiative to help ensure that workers across America don’t have to choose between voting and earning a paycheck.
Amidst a sharp rise in violence and rhetoric targeting the Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI) community, we stand with our team members, customers business partners, and neighbors around the world who are members of the AAPI community. In March 2021, we made a $200,000 contribution to Stop AAPI Hate and Asian Americans Advancing Justice – AAJC.
In 2020, we donated over $1 million to the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), an organization committed to ending mass incarceration and excessive punishment in the U.S., to challenging racial and economic injustice, and to protecting basic human rights for the most vulnerable people in American society.
Reinforcing our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion, Qurate Retail Group has signed on to The Valuable 500, a global collective uniting 500 of the most influential business leaders and their brands, to help unlock the social and economic value of people living with disabilities around the world. Read more about our commitment to advancing disability inclusion within our organization, and beyond.
Qurate Retail Group is proud to receive a 100% rating on the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation’s 2022 Corporate Equality Index, the nation’s foremost benchmarking survey and report measuring corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality. Our perfect score makes us one of the “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality.”
We are proud to be selected as a 2022 Top Supporter of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), awarded by Career Communications Group. This honor recognizes Qurate Retail Group’s commitment to collaborating with HBCUs to strengthen the education-to-employment pipeline for students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math). To learn more about this recognition and Qurate Retail’s Group’s work in promoting STEM diversity, head here for the full story.
We are proud to have earned a top score on the 2022 Disability Equality Index (DEI) and to be recognized as a “Best Place to Work for Disability Inclusion”. The DEI is acknowledged as the world’s most comprehensive benchmarking tool for the Fortune 1000 to measure disability workplace inclusion. To learn more about this recognition and Qurate Retail Group’s commitment to Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, head here for the full story.
Qurate Retail Group is proud to join the 2022 Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index which highlights our business as “committed to transparent reporting as well as addressing gender inequality”.
We are proud to be listed for two years in a row as one of Forbes America’s Best Employers for Diversity.
November 10, 2022: National Diversity Council recognized Virginia Nguyen, Chief Diversity Officer at Qurate Retail Group, as a Top 100 Diversity Officer in U.S.
October 14, 2022: Qurate Retail Group is working to elevate disability-owned businesses and hosting events for team members on the history and achievements within the disability community
June 6, 2022: Qurate Retail Group has donated more than $7 million in airtime, digital support and other services through Small Business Spotlight, which gives national exposure to underrepresented entrepreneurs on QVC, HSN and Zulily. Many on-air participants have reported increased sales and customer engagement.
May 19, 2022: Qurate Retail Group is working to elevate veteran-owned businesses and is hosting events for team members to recognize and honor the contributions of U.S. service members.