Oura Launches on QVC in a Live Shopping Experiment
Oura, a popular fitness and health-tracking wearable, has made its QVC debut, stepping into the live shopping arena. This marketing experiment aims to expand its reach, particularly among female consumers and residents of middle America.
Doug Sweeney, CMO at Oura, shared insights into the company’s journey to this moment: ‘We’ve been in talks with QVC for about two years since a meeting at CES. We felt that now was the right time as we are getting outside of traditional shopping channels and into a storytelling format.’
As live shopping gains traction, notably due to platforms like TikTok, it still has much ground to cover compared to the robust sales it sees in China. Projections estimate that live shopping could represent about 5% of e-commerce by 2026, according to Coresight Research.
Despite this growth, QVC finds itself in the midst of a turnaround plan following a reported 5% decrease in annual revenue and significant losses in 2024. Nevertheless, the company boasts around 7.6 million customers, with the potential for increased engagement through live shopping.
Oura aims to leverage QVC’s dedicated female audience, a key demographic for their product, which has applications beyond general wellness, including menstrual cycle tracking and stress management. Sweeney remarked, ‘The QVC format aligns well with Oura’s holistic health solution, offering depth and detail that shorter formats, like TikTok, cannot provide.’
Andrew Thompson, VP at tech platform Agora, emphasized QVC’s continued engagement: ‘Live shopping with QVC represents a significant opportunity to connect with a vast audience in real-time, enhancing not just sales but also brand presence.’
To execute this initiative, Oura has enlisted the experience of host Sarah Cotellesse, a long-time user of Oura products. The collaboration includes targeted offers, such as a ring starting at $349, which comes with a sizing kit and an extra charger.
Since its inception in 2013, Oura has sold over 2.5 million rings and is on track for impressive sales projections for 2024, bolstered by expanding retail partnerships.
In conclusion, as Oura steps into this new format, they are optimistic about the potential for growth and engagement, with Sweeney noting, ‘We are testing the waters here with this new approach.’
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