We guess we were all wondering where upscale home goods provider MacKenzie-Childs would end up after leaving its long-time home, ShopHQ, the end of last year.
One our readers posted the news: QVC is running promos saying that MacKenzie-Child is joining its roster.
Here’s what’s on QVC.com right now.
https://www.qvc.com/catalog/search.html?keyword=McKenzie%20childs&qq=mh
Their stuff is gorgeous, bu we can’t afford $1,000 for an Easter rabbit statue or $150 for a pillow.
Here’s a tidbit that comes from our former colleague at the once great, but ruined by Gannett, Bergen Record.
Food writer Esther Davidowitz did a review of a new restaurant that is just about five minutes from our condo in Montclair, N.J. The eatery is the Chit Chat Diner, which is located atop a hill in West Orange, N.J.
We have driven by it a million times, but Esther reported that its interior was designed by MacKenzie-Childs, the housewares and home-decor vendor that sells its colorful — and pricey — wares on Evine.
If you look at the story, you will see a photo that shows the trademark black-and-white checkerboard design that MacKenzie-Childs incorporates in its dinnerware and other goods adorning the new eatery.
QVC originally stood for Quality, Value and Convenience. As for “quality,” not so much these days.
We loved, and agreed with the reaction, to a recent TSV that QVC offered from domestic diva (and Nutley, N.J., native) Martha Stewart. What a bargain, just $99.95 for a 4.25-pound turkey, herb butter and two two-pound size dishes.
Are you kidding us? What are those buyers smoking over at QVC? And as some customers posted on Facebook, is Martha smoking weed with her co-host, Snoop Dog?
Here is the description of this pricey, golden bird:
Have you ever dreamed of having your Thanksgiving meal prepared by Martha Stewart? This ready-to-cook holiday feast makes your culinary dreams a reality. From the juicy, succulent turkey breast with rich herb butter for topping, to the heaping helpings of delectable side dishes, it has everything you need to make next family dinner as easy—and as unforgettably delicious—as possible. From Martha Stewart.
• Includes 4.25-lb turkey breast, 2.4-oz herb compound butter, and two 2-lb side dishes
• Mashed Potatoes: made with peeled russet potatoes, whole milk, cream cheese, real butter, and heavy cream
• Mac & Cheese: made with sharp white cheddar, gruyere, fontina, and Parmigiano cheese, butter, milk, and cayenne pepper; blended with elbow macaroni noodles; topped with melted butter, panko bread crumbs, gruyere, sharp white cheddar, and Parmigiano cheeses
• Creamy Spinach Casserole: made with chopped spinach, butter, whole milk, and sour cream; topped with panko bread crumbs, butter, and gruyere cheese
• Cherry Stuffing: made with chunks of crusty white bread crumbs, blended with butter, chicken broth, chopped onions and celery, herbs, and dried cherries.
QVC also had a recent TSV — a 1-carat five-stone diamond band 14K ring by Affinity — that ranged in price from $1,000 to $1,400.
But QVC isn’t the only home shopping net that’s been approaching the stratosphere in terms of prices. Either QVC or HSN (we didn’t see, someone mentioned it on Facebook) was hawking a $200 cake.
Over at Evine, MacKenzie-Childs is offering a large rolling moose for $500. We love the moose, and the other handcrafted wares that MacKenzie-Childs has, but the prices are out of this world. How about $122 for four kitchen utensils?
Guess we have to stick to Home Goods.
We’re always skeptical about these types of press releases.
On Friday Evine reported that its premiere of the the MacKenzie-Childs housewares line “beat sales forecasts by more than 200 percent and sold out of virtually all in-stock product.
“Evine and MacKenzie-Childs attribute the success to a number of factors, including unique product styling, collaborative cross-brand marketing, and engaging storytelling which brought the MacKenzie-Childs brand to life using Evine’s video commerce platforms,” according to the press release.
What it doesn’t tell you is exactly how many units were sold. If there were not that many in stock, they could easily all blow out the door.
“Evine has the most talented team in the video commerce business and the successful premiere of MacKenzie-Childs is evidence of that,” Evine CEO Bob Rosenblatt said in a canned statement.
“I’m so proud of what our teams accomplished. Beyond selecting the perfect products for the premiere, the level of internal and vendor collaboration surpassed our teams’ highest expectations. Watching the show from the set was exhilarating. We sold out item after item and were on the phone with MacKenzie-Childs’ warehouse working to get additional inventory so we could fill more orders. It may just have been the most exciting six hours of my time here at Evine so far!”
During the May 3 and 4 air dates debut of MacKenzie-Childs the brand’s creative director, Rebeca Proctor, presented the company’s handcrafted items.
In addition to new product, MacKenzie-Childs debuted on a custom set designed for the line.
Contributing to the debut’s success was the strong cross-brand marketing between Evine, MacKenzie-Childs and Beekman 1802 – one of Evine’s most successful bath and body lines whose Upstate New York farm is located near the MacKenzie-Childs design studio.
Last month, MacKenzie-Childs and Beekman 1802 joined neighborly forces and created a co-branded product, which was sold on Evine during the premiere. Leading up to the premiere, both brands engaged their fan bases on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, even executing a Facebook Live show the evening before the launch.
Connecting with each brands’ customers via their own channels explains the significantly higher-than-average number of new customers Evine saw during the launch.
MacKenzie-Childs will return to Evine July 17 and 18 and feature many of the products that sold out in the premiere.
“The experience and results we had with Evine in presenting ‘MacKenzie-Childs Television’ exceeded my already lofty expectations,” MacKenzie-Childs CEO John Ling said in a statement.
“Being our first association with this platform, we were very reliant on the Evine team and their support and guidance was instrumental to our success. I am very proud of both teams for how they came together to so beautifully tell our wonderful story to a new generation of MacKenzie-Childs’ fans. We look forward to a long-lasting relationship with the Evine team and continuing to offer our customers a new way to shop our product.”
OK, we’ve never heard of it, but MacKenzie-Childs is bringing a handcrafted home collection to Evine.
The press release on Monday said that “the classically quirky home décor brand” will bring “MacKenzie-Childs Home TV” will be on Evine with mucho air time on May 3 and 4.
You can expect “a peek into a brand which has been creating whimsical and unique designs since 1983,” according to the press release.
“There is something special about the magic of MacKenzie-Childs,” Evine CEO Bob Rosenblatt said in a canned statement.
“The team at MacKenzie-Childs is constantly looking for ways to push the envelope and go where no one has gone before. It seems like a perfect match for them to be the first-ever brand to ‘take-over’ our network and use our video commerce platforms to immerse viewers into the MacKenzie-Childs world of whimsy.”
Founded in 1983 as a small pottery in upstate New York, the company now offers “quirky designs.”
“MacKenzie-Childs has an amazing and colorful story to tell, and Evine is the perfect canvas to share our story live with our fans,” said Rebecca Proctor, on-air guest and creative director of the company..
“From our design studio in the heart of the Finger Lakes, to our storefront in New York City, we always strive to design products that make customers feel happy and inspired. It’s the unexpected touches and unique details that I’m most excited to share with Evine’s viewers.”
“MacKenzie-Childs Home TV” will feature some of the company’s best-known collections, including the Parchment Check, Morning Glory, Flower Market and Courtly Check patterns. You can expect hand-painted tea kettles, mug sets and creamer and sugar sets.
In addition to the network take-over, the MacKenzie-Childs brand will interact with Beekman 1802 during their premiere, an Evine bath and body brand whose upstate New York farm is located near MacKenzie-Childs’ design studio.
“The two brands recently joined neighborly forces and created a co-branded product, a blooming-floral soap and lotion set, which includes a hand-painted Courtly Check container,” according to the press release. “Both brands will appear in each other’s on-air segments and continue to interact with each other throughout the rest of the year.”
Homeshoppingista's Blog By Linda Moss 