I don't want to seem ungrateful but...
... I don't understand what QVC's reasoning is this year in reducing the give-aways, cutting out the raffle and generally coming across as a bit tight-fisted. Last year's goody bag contents (two bags) which pretty much filled my dining room table whereas this years fit on a standard sized tea-tray (still 2 bags worth). (photo to follow when the battery recharges in my camera!).
I think last year the letter or leaflet mentioned that the goody bag would be generous and full of samples and so fewer freebies would be handed out during the actual Beauty Bash session. Fair enough, I though maybe it was a fairer system as there were people brazenly asking for stuff, some just taking. The older New Year New You events were more of a free for all and I'll hold my hand up, I wafted repeatedly past the Elemis stand in those days and collected a fair few Bliss capsules. (didn't rate them tbh). At NYNY the stands were all very generous and if you didn't want to listen to the spiel they were cool just handing out the goods. For example Smashbox gave out the full sized lip palette, and SBC gave 100ml collagen gel tubes, Bobbi Brown gave out lipsticks and Leighton a corrector fluid with brush (you get the idea). They also laid on tea, coffee, pastries and one year they made smoothies with the Jack Lalane juicer. Last year at the BB they did pastries and other refreshments but this year it was a cuppa and a pair of biscuits in a packet (cost saving exercise? or new caterers?)
The raffle prizes have been shrinking for a while now, the top NYNY prize was usually £100s worth of Elemis in a big basket and was well-worth staying to the end for the draw. Last years draw was ok but the smallest prizes I'd seen (bear in mind I'd missed out a couple of year's event). But in past years the train fare from Sussex (about £60 each day return) was an acceptable cost for a jolly day out with a great range of goodies and samples. Meeting the brand reps was good and seeing the presenters was fun too, although I always thought that QVC set far more store by the cult of the presenter than I ever did! I'd rather chat with an expert than prattle with a presenter. I suspect the social media culture has convinced Q that their customers are dippy QVC groupies. I know I keep harking back to past events but they kind of set the benchmark for me and this year didn't measure up. At NYNY there were a few slots for treatments but the emphasis was on consultations (I chatted to Tom from Alpha H and Lee (the original one) from Philosophy for ages and had a good look at up-coming TSVs and other new products. I probably made a few purchases thanks to products tested or sniffed at NYNY. This year seemed geared more towards the treatments, for instance the Laura Geller stand had very few products on view, just the new stick foundation but only in the Medium shade, and the body butters that were launched before Xmas. There was no way to look at what the staff were applying to customers' faces unless you were that customer.
Mally's counter was similarly bare, the sold out set of shadow sticks from before Xmas seemed a bit out of date as it might not be reordered, though Teeny was just lovely. The Flora Mare chap and also the M.Asam couple were charming as were the French couple for L'Artisan Parfumeur - so nice to see more European brands being stocked as well as the usual American brands.
The transition to Beauty Bash (to fall into line with QVC US maybe) changed the event into a bigger and superficially slicker production; I went to my first BB last year with my daughter and even though we were told all freebies would be in the goody bags the vendors were handing out other bits and bobs. All well and good! Danish pastries and a raffle (didn't win mind you).
So today, the message came across loud and clear that no samples would be allowed and I think it was embarrassing for the vendors to comply with QVC's instructions. For instance Percy & Reed gave us a flimsy plastic card holder (but don't tell anyone) principally to hand out a competition details but as it was classed as a "valuable" freebie it technically wasn't allowed. Surely it's up to the brands to decide what to hand out? Alexis, when she was on the L'Occitane NYNY stand was a bit tight, (I'd get more from the L'Occy outlet at Gunwharf Quays on a wet Wednesday) whereas other brands gave out full retail sizes. The choice must have been theirs to make.
So I'm not sure why QVC have taken this stance, the samples don't come out of QVC's coffers surely? I don't want to get certain vendors into trouble because some of them still gave me and my daughter extra samples after we'd spoken about specific concerns but it was done in a weird claok and dagger, under-the-counter way which felt really odd. Last of all one of the Brand Ambassadors had spent a long while chatting with us, my daughter having had really good results over the intervening year since the last sample we'd been given so she suggested that we could take a small sample from the display and what she didn't see she couldn't stop IYKWIM. So we took a small item each but a woman who I assume was from QVC rather than the brand swooped and told us we couldn't have any freebies. It's not that we've missed out on something valuable, just a couple of £ worth at most but the lady offered and we weren't abusing her generosity. So the kind gesture was completely wiped out by a jobsworth wading in. So a jolly enough day out but what do we remember? Well you can guess.
So if I'm invited next year I'm not sure whether it's worth the train fare tbh, it certainly isn't money I'd pay out just to mingle with QVC presenters (though we spoke to Pipa and she was a hoot, natural and friendly). £120 for two of us to get into London from the South coast sin't looking worth the effort next year and anyone travelling from further afield, or Heaven forbid shelling out £20 for entry I'd probably say it's not worth it. Prior to today, I'd have said go once for the experience but after today I'd say don't bother.
Finally, of all the items in the goody bags the Eve Lom cleanser will be the first I use up HOWEVER the brand is no longer stocked on QVC so thanks for palming us off with stuff you can't sell QVC, I'm deeply grateful! :taphead:
Sorry for the long ranbling post, photos tomorrow!
