The broadcast produced above average sales and several of the new items sold out. The best sellers will be brought back to QVC next spring and all of the new items that appeared on the broadcast will be listed in our 2001 Spring Hill Nurseries Select catalogs. It has been a profitable and excellent working relationship that has had a growth of 20 percent annually. From our very first gardening show in September 1993, we approached the project as one would merchandise a catalog. All of the details, including set preparation and our on-air host, who sells for Spring Hill, are overseen by Spring Hill.
Success is in the up-front execution.
QVC closes the sale. This enables us to be where our customers are shopping. Whereas catalog shoppers will order from the full range of Spring Hill's plant offerings, causing catalog orders to be somewhat larger and more diverse. The average sale on QVC is considerably less than our average catalog or Internet sale. However, we see repeat customers throughout the year on the QVC broadcasts.