JML licenses 'The Store' brand for TV shopping channel

ITV is taking on home shopping giants QVC and Ideal World with the launch of 24-hour shopping channel, The Store.

The Store, which will be filmed in front of a studio audience, has been dubbed as an ‘chatmercial’ - a cross between an infomercial and chatshow.

The channel will be operated by TV retailing experts JML, after it licenced The Store brand from ITV.

It will feature a range of health, beauty, gift and home products, including The Only Way Is Essex star Chloe Sims’ tanning range and TV presenter Melanie Sykes’ Active Woman supplements.

Launching on 1 October, The Store will air on Sky and Freesat, with a block of up to seven hours per day on Freeview and two hours every Sunday on ITV. Parts of it will also stream on ITV.com.

Products will be sold over the phone and via a dedicated website.

The partnership extends an existing relationship between the two businesses in which a teleshopping block airs for two hours from 12.30am, three nights per week.

JML commercial and marketing director Hannah Treble said: “The Store is an engaging, fresh format for a shopping channel and we are really excited to be bringing this to market with ITV. With the UK TV home shopping market worth at least £1 billion and growing, it’s a great opportunity for us and our future retail partners.”

ITV head of partnership and ventures James Penfold said: “We have been delighted with the success of the partnership with JML and the results that have been achieved through the new ‘chatmercial’ format. Expanding the concept into a 24 hour channel is an exciting and logical next step.”

Source : Suzanne Bearne - Broadcast Now
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