FN ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS 2011RETAILEROF THE YEARPRIME TIMEWhen Mindy Grossmanarrived at HSNas CEO five years ago,she turned the <strong>com</strong>panyupside down.Back then, thehome-shopping networkwas stuck in the shadow of its rival, QVC, sufferingfrom a lack of focus, uninspired product anda yell-and-sell approach that turned off viewers.With Grossman’s sweeping changes — “we literallyoverhauled everything, down to the font on ourstationery,” she said — HSN has transformed intoa more modern shopping destination that has thefashion world buzzing.“HSN has gone from being a fashion ‘no’ to afashion ‘yes,’” said designer Sam Edelman, an HSNpartner. “Mindy has really made over the [<strong>com</strong>pany’s]image, [putting] HSN at the forefront ofMindy GrossmanHSN now attracts fashion’s biggest names, with shoesplaying a starring role at the network. BY ERIN E. CLACKcelebrity and design.”For Grossman and her team, the 34-year-old<strong>com</strong>pany’s turnaround began with taking a stepback and looking at the business in a different light.“We redefined what HSN stands for and createdthis idea of marrying content with <strong>com</strong>merce,thinking of ourselves more like a lifestyle networksuch as HGTV or the Food Network,” she said.To that end, the <strong>com</strong>pany dumped dozens ofbrands and categories that no longer fit with thisnew vision and zeroed in on more style-focusedbusinesses, including beauty, apparel and shoes. Italso began aggressively courting top designers andcelebrities to sell their collections on the network.“We are really maniacal about bringing our consumersproducts that have great personalities andstories behind them,” Grossman said.In the footwear space, HSN signed big names,including Steve Madden, Stuart Weitzman, VinceCamuto and Mariah Carey, who launched a line ofshoes and other items last holiday season.Carey told Footwear News that the retailer hasbeen an ideal platform for introducing her designsto her fans. “HSN’s reach is massive,” she said. “Ilove being part of it all.” The star said the opportunityto connect with consumers through her onairappearances is invaluable. “People love feelingclose to designers and celebrities and hearingthem talk about their products firsthand. It’s beena real learning experience [for me].”The footwear category has be<strong>com</strong>e a standoutfor HSN, and many credit that to Grossman, aNike alum and self-described shoe lover. FellowFNAA honoree Vince Camuto said Grossman wasinfluential in his decision to join HSN’s roster.“She has brought stability to the business, andI really believe she’s going to take the <strong>com</strong>pany tothe next level,” he said, noting that HSN providestremendous exposure for his brand. “Its reachis unbelievable, and its customer [base] is verydiversified around the country.”Although HSN sells a range of shoe categories,the contemporary market is where the <strong>com</strong>panyhas really planted its stake. “It’s who we are, and wewant to own that space,” said John Bosco, HSN’sSVP of apparel, accessories and jewelry. To giveitself an edge, the firm partners with its brands tooffer exclusives. As much as 70 percent of its productsare proprietary, said Bosco.With all that growth, the footwear category isbeing given increasingly more airtime. This year,the network introduced its first 18- and 24-hourshoe sales and also collaborated with ParamountPictures to present a special footwear-focusedshopping event inspired by the movie remake of“Footloose.” The event was part of a bigger pushby HSN to integrate more entertainment into itsprogramming, with the goal of creating must-seeTV. The <strong>com</strong>pany ran similar programs aroundthe films “Eat, Pray, Love” and “The Help.”To connect with consumers beyond TV, HSN isleveraging its programming content across all itsdigital platforms, including HSN.<strong>com</strong>, its mobileapps and a recently launched gaming portal.“We no longer think of HSN as a TV network;we think of it as a content platform across differentscreens,” Grossman said, stressing that the<strong>com</strong>pany’s digital experiences are highly customized,not cookie-cutter. With its iPad app, for example,shoe lovers can create a footwear-specificchannel and receive alerts when new shoe-relatedvideos be<strong>com</strong>e available.If the St. Petersburg, Fla.-based <strong>com</strong>pany’srecent performance is any gauge, consumers likethe new, improved HSN. The retailer has rung upquarter after quarter of robust sales increases, andprofits continue to climb. “It’s very validating tosee customers responding so positively to whatwe’re doing,” Grossman said. “We think we’veelevated the idea of network shopping from beinga very linear, transactional business to somethingthat inspires, informs and entertains.”PHOTO: COURTESY OF HSN36 | | NOVEMBER 28, 2011
Felicitations!Congrats to all of the FN Achievement Award winners.We salute your labor of love.Distributed exclusively by Lipsey’s Distribution 1.800.666.1333 LeChameauUSA.<strong>com</strong>See Le Chameau USA @ FFaNY Booth # 1308 - Americas Hall 1
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