Today’s Shopping Choice is celebrating their 35th anniversary and provide a unique way of bringing shopping experiences to life.
As a Canadian grown company, the founders wanted to bring something new to retail – Television shopping. In previous years, TSC was just a shopping channel – but now, the company operates a website, mobile app, social media channels, and live shopping events. You can also find TSC on OLN and Citytv.
TSC carries several of national brands including Adidas, Apple, and Canon. It’s also known to offer great discounts and bundles, usually lasting 36 hours.
Bringing Shopping to Life
“We do storytelling, the combination of telling a story and selling a product,” says Kit Li-perry the Chief Merchandizing Officer at TSC. “In other retail stores, you will walk in and just see the clothing and if you are lucky, you will get some associate telling you about the product. What we do is we take a product and really go into why it is good, why do you need it, why is it unique, why is it the best.”
TSC has expanded its digital footprint to make it possible for customers to connect with TSC in different ways such as on social media, their website, or customers can call. With great communication, customers can understand the product better such as knowing how to use it, wear it, or wash it.
“All of those channels, the experience is the same. It really is about the storytelling and the product information that we can give,” says Carolyn Galvin the Senior Director of Content and live Broadcast at TSC. “They can call in, or they can shop online, or they can shop through social media. All of that is a unique way of how our customers interact with us.
Connecting with Customers
During Covid-19, the customer base has expanded and Li-perry said a lot of them end up being loyal and are surprised about the brands and products they carry.
Customers can talk to hosts, ask questions to experts, and provide feedback to the merchandizing team. The feedback allows TSC to learn more about which products are popular.
“Customers can tell the hosts about birthdays or anniversaries and the host will announce it on the show. It is unique to be able to have that connection with your customers and community so directly,” says Galvin.
TSC Discounts and Bundles
Unlike other retailers, TSC includes daily Showstoppers and bundle packages. These are limited time only for around 36 hours.
Product bundles are decided on what makes sense at the time, such as Father’s Day bundles. TSC also has bundles for back to school, kitchen supplies, and gift bundles.
Covid-19 Inspiration
As the pandemic and restrictions hit, TSC had to think about new ways to keep the show going even after losing their ability to create live shows.
“The show must go on,” says Galvin. “Necessity breeds invention. So, we became a lot more comfortable with having guests on Skype.”
As guests started advertising products from home, TSC realized some products are better off staying out of their studio.
“We had a guest who used a lot of spray paint, so for the show he just went out to his backyard and started spraying his fence. That is something difficult for us to stimulate in the studio as we would need to cover everything in plastic,” says Galvin.
TSC is becoming more popular in North America as it is easy and more accessible for customers who find it difficult to shop in stores. The next step TSC is focusing on is being more relevant to customers, expanding their digital footprint to be more accessible, and being flexible on adding new products.
“Shopping is fun,” says Galvin. “So, our goal is to make it an enjoyable shopping experience. The whole feel of what we are trying to do is community of shoppers who love products and love discovering products.”
