EDGAR 10-K Filing

Company CIK: 1355096
Filing Year: 2024
Filename: 1355096_10-K_2024_0001558370-24-002032.json

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ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Item 1. Business.
General Development of Business
Qurate Retail, Inc. ("Qurate Retail", the “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our”), owns interests in subsidiaries and other companies which are primarily engaged in the video and online commerce industries. Through our subsidiaries and affiliates, we operate in North America, Europe and Asia. Our principal businesses and assets include our consolidated subsidiaries QVC, Inc. ("QVC"), Cornerstone Brands, Inc. (“CBI”), and other cost method investments.
On September 23, 2011, Qurate Retail completed the split-off (the "LMC Split-Off") of a wholly owned subsidiary, Liberty Media Corporation ("LMC"). Following the LMC Split-Off, Qurate Retail and LMC operate as separately publicly traded companies and neither has any stock ownership, beneficial or otherwise, in the other.
Qurate Retail and LMC entered into certain agreements in order to govern certain of the ongoing relationships between the two companies. These agreements include a reorganization agreement, a services agreement (the “Services Agreement”) and a facilities sharing agreement (the “Facilities Sharing Agreement”). Pursuant to the Services Agreement, LMC provides Qurate Retail with general and administrative services including legal, tax, accounting, treasury, information technology (“IT”), cybersecurity, and investor relations support. See below for a description of an amendment to the Services Agreement entered into in December 2019. Qurate Retail reimburses LMC for direct, out-of-pocket expenses incurred by LMC in providing these services and for Qurate Retail's allocable portion of costs associated with any shared services or personnel based on an estimated percentage of time spent providing services to Qurate Retail. Under the Facilities Sharing Agreement, Qurate Retail shares office space with LMC and related amenities at LMC's corporate headquarters.
In December 2019, the Company entered into an amended services agreement. Under the amended services agreement, components of LMC’s Chief Executive Officer’s compensation are either paid directly to him or reimbursed to LMC, in each case, based on allocations set forth in the amended services agreement. For the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, the allocation percentage for the Company was 11%, 13% and 17%, respectively.
* * * * *
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding business, product and marketing strategies; the impact of the fire at the Rocky Mount fulfillment center; insurance recoveries; revenue growth at QVC; synergies; the recoverability of goodwill and other intangible assets; projected sources and uses of cash; repayment of debt; fluctuations in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates; and the anticipated impact of certain contingent liabilities related to legal and tax proceedings and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. In particular, statements under Item 1. "Business," Item 1A. "Risk-Factors," Item 2. "Properties," Item 7. "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and Item 7A. "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk" contain forward-looking statements. Where, in any forward-looking statement, we express an expectation or belief as to future results or events, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis, but there can be no assurance that the expectation or belief will result or be achieved or accomplished. The following include some but not all of the factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated:
● Customer demand for our products and services and our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers by anticipating customer demand and adapting to changes in demand;
● competitor responses to our products and services;
● increased digital TV penetration and the impact on channel positioning of our programs;
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● the levels of online traffic to our businesses' websites and our ability to convert visitors into customers or contributors;
● uncertainties inherent in the development and integration of new business lines and business strategies;
● our future financial performance, including availability, terms, deployment of capital and our level of indebtedness;
● our ability to effectively manage our installment sales plans and revolving credit card programs;
● the cost and ability of shipping companies, manufacturers, suppliers, digital marketing channels, and vendors to deliver products, equipment, software and services;
● the outcome of any pending or threatened litigation;
● availability of qualified personnel;
● the impact of the seasonality of our businesses;
● changes in, or failure or inability to comply with, government regulations, including, without limitation, regulations of the Federal Communications Commission (“FCC”), and adverse outcomes from regulatory proceedings;
● changes in the nature of key strategic relationships with partners, distributors, suppliers and vendors, including our increased reliance on social media platform as a marketing tool;
● domestic and international economic and business conditions and industry trends, including the impact of Brexit (as defined below) and the impact of inflation and increased labor costs;
● increases in market interest rates;
● changes in the trade policy and trade relations with China;
● consumer spending levels, including the availability and amount of individual consumer debt and customer credit losses;
● system interruption and the lack of integration and redundancy in the systems and infrastructures of our businesses;
● advertising spending levels;
● changes in distribution and viewing of television programming, including the expanded deployment of video on demand technologies and Internet protocol television and their impact on home shopping programming;
● rapid technological changes;
● failure to protect the security of personal information, including as a result of cybersecurity threats and cybersecurity incidents, subjecting us to potentially costly government enforcement actions and/or private litigation and reputational damage;
● the regulatory and competitive environment of the industries in which we operate;
● natural disasters, public health crises (including COVID-19 and its variants or future pandemics or epidemics), political crises, and other catastrophic events or other events outside of our control, including climate change;
● threatened terrorist attacks, political and economic unrest in international markets and ongoing military action around the world;
● failure to successfully implement Project Athens (defined below); and
● fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates.
These forward-looking statements and such risks, uncertainties and other factors speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and we expressly disclaim any obligation or undertaking to disseminate any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein, to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto, or any other change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based. When considering such forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the factors described in Item 1A, "Risk Factors" and other cautionary statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Such risk factors and statements describe circumstances which could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement.
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Description of Business
The following table identifies our subsidiaries:
Consolidated Subsidiaries
QVC, Inc.
Cornerstone Brands, Inc.
QVC
On December 29, 2017, Qurate Retail completed the acquisition of the remaining 62% ownership interest of HSN, Inc. (“HSN”) in an all-stock transaction. On December 31, 2018, Qurate Retail transferred our 100% ownership interest in HSN to QVC, Inc. through a transaction among entities under common control. References throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K to “QVC” refer to QVC, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
QVC curates and sells a wide variety of consumer products via highly engaging, video-rich, interactive shopping experiences, distributed to approximately 216 million worldwide households each day through its broadcast networks. QVC also reaches audiences through its websites (including QVC.com, HSN.com and others); virtual multichannel video programming distributors (including Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV); its applications via streaming video; Facebook Live, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Xfinity Flex, and Samsung TV Plus; mobile applications; its social media pages and over-the-air broadcasters. QVC believes it is a global leader in video retailing, e-commerce, mobile commerce and social commerce, with operations based in the United States ("U.S."), Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom ("U.K."), and Italy.
The goal of QVC is to extend its leadership in video commerce, e-commerce, streaming commerce and social commerce by continuing to create the world’s most engaging shopping experiences, combining the best of retail, media and social, highly differentiated from traditional brick-and-mortar stores or transactional e-commerce. QVC provides customers with curated collections of unique products, made personal and relevant by the power of storytelling. QVC curates experiences, conversations and communities for millions of highly discerning shoppers, and also reaches large audiences, across its many platforms, for its thousands of brand partners.
QVC offers a wide assortment of high-quality merchandise and classifies its products into six groups: home, beauty, apparel, jewelry, accessories and electronics. It is QVC’s product sourcing team's mission to research and curate compelling and differentiated products from manufacturers who have sufficient scale to meet anticipated demand. QVC offers many exclusive and proprietary products, leading national brands and limited distribution brands offering unique items. Many of QVC’s products are endorsed by celebrities, designers and other well-known personalities who often join its presenters on its live programming and provide lead-in publicity on their own social media pages, websites and other customer touchpoints. QVC believes that its ability to demonstrate product features and present “faces and places” differentiates and defines the QVC shopping experience. QVC closely monitors customer demand and its product mix to remain well-positioned and relevant in popular and growing retail segments, which it believes is a significant competitive advantage relative to competitors who operate brick-and-mortar stores.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, approximately 96% of QVC's worldwide shipped sales were from repeat and reactivated customers (i.e., customers who made a purchase from QVC during the prior twelve months and customers who previously made a purchase from QVC but not during the prior twelve months). In the same period, QVC attracted approximately 2.7 million new customers and the global e-commerce operation comprised $5.5 billion, or 58.6%, of QVC's consolidated net revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023.
QVC operates eleven distribution centers and four contact centers worldwide. In 2023, QVC’s work force consisted of approximately 18,400 employees who handled approximately 90 million customer calls, shipped approximately 204 million units globally and served approximately 12.1 million unique customers. QVC believes its long-term relationships with major U.S. television distributors, including cable operators (e.g., Comcast, Charter
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Communications and Cox), satellite television providers (e.g., DISH and DIRECTV) and telecommunications companies (e.g., Verizon and AT&T), provide it with broad distribution, favorable channel positioning and significant competitive advantages. QVC believes that its significant market share, brand awareness, outstanding customer service, repeat customer base, flexible payment options, international reach and scalable infrastructure distinguish QVC from its competitors.
On June 27, 2022, Qurate Retail announced a five-point turnaround plan designed to stabilize and differentiate its QVC-U.S. and HSN brands and expand the Company's leadership in video streaming commerce (“Project Athens”). Project Athens main initiatives include: (i) improve customer experience and grow relationships; (ii) rigorously execute core processes; (iii) lower cost to serve; (iv) optimize the brand portfolio; and (v) build new high growth businesses anchored in strength. During 2022 QVC commenced the first phase of Project Athens including actions to reduce inventory and a planned workforce reduction that was completed in February 2023. These initiatives are consistent with QVC’s strategy to operate more efficiently as it implements its turnaround plan and QVC expects to incur additional expenses related to Project Athens initiatives in future periods. QVC implemented a workforce reduction and recorded restructuring charges of $13 million and $24 million in restructuring, penalties and fire related costs, net of (recoveries) in the consolidated statement of operations during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
QxH
QxH's programming is distributed in the U.S., 20 hours per day of live programming, 364 days per year, to approximately 92 million television households and is distributed to approximately 99% of households subscribing to services offered by television distributors. QxH's televised shopping programs, including live and recorded content, are broadcast across multiple channels nationally on a full time basis, including the main QVC and HSN channels as well as the additional channels of QVC2, QVC3 and HSN2. These additional channels offer viewers access to a broader range of QxH programming options as well as more relevant programming for viewers in different time zones. QxH also has over-the-air broadcasting in designated U.S. markets that can be accessed by any household with a digital antenna in such markets, regardless of whether it subscribes to a paid television service. This allows QxH to reach customers who previously did not have access to the program through other television platforms.
QxH's programming is also available through QVC.com and HSN.com (collectively, QVC’s "Websites") as well as virtual multichannel video programming distributors (including Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV); applications via streaming video; Facebook Live, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Xfinity Flex, and Samsung TV Plus; mobile applications; its social media pages and over-the-air broadcasters (collectively, QVC’s "Digital Platforms"). QxH’s Digital Platforms enable consumers to purchase goods offered on its broadcast programming along with a wide assortment of products that are available only on its Websites. QxH’s Websites and other Digital Platforms are natural extensions of its business model, allowing customers to engage in its shopping experience wherever they are, with live or on-demand content customized to the device they are using. In addition, QxH’s Websites and mobile applications allow shoppers to browse, research, compare and perform targeted searches for products, read customer reviews, control the order-entry process and conveniently access their account. For the year ended December 31, 2023, approximately 88% of new QxH customers made their first purchase through QxH’s Digital Platforms. QxH, including its Digital Platforms, contributed $7.0 billion, or 74%, of consolidated net revenue and $746 million of Adjusted OIBDA (defined in note 15 to the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements) for the year ended December 31, 2023. QxH Digital Platform revenue as a percentage of total QxH net revenue was 61.8%, 60.5% and 60.4% for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
QVC International
QVC International’s business brings the QVC shopping experience to approximately 124 million households outside the U.S., primarily in Germany, Austria, Japan, the U.K., the Republic of Ireland, and Italy. Similar to QxH, QVC International’s business engages customers via multiple platforms, including broadcast networks, websites, mobile applications and social media pages. QVC International product sourcing teams select products tailored to the interests of each local market. For the year ended December 31, 2023, QVC International operations, including its Digital Platforms, generated $2.5 billion, or 26%, of consolidated QVC net revenue and $325 million of Adjusted OIBDA. QVC International
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Digital Platform revenue as a percentage of total QVC International net revenue was 49.6%, 47.5% and 47.4% for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Merchandise
QVC’s global merchandise mix features: (i) home, (ii) apparel, (iii) beauty, (iv) accessories, (v) electronics and (vi) jewelry. Many of its brands are exclusive, while others are created by well-known designers. QVC’s global sales mix is provided in the table below:
Years ended December 31,
Product category
Home
41%
40%
40%
Apparel
18%
18%
16%
Beauty
18%
17%
18%
Accessories
11%
11%
11%
Electronics
7%
9%
10%
Jewelry
5%
5%
5%
Total
100%
100%
100%
Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar retailers with inventories across a network of stores, QVC is able to quickly adapt its offerings in direct response to changes in its customers purchasing patterns. QVC utilizes a test and re-order model to determine initial customer demand. Through constant monitoring, QVC aims to manage its product offerings to maximize net revenue and fulfill current demand in large growth segments where it can gain a greater share of its customers' purchases. QVC’s merchandising team is dedicated to continually researching, pursuing and launching new products and brands. With a mandate to deliver hard-to-find value, its merchants find and curate collections of high quality goods from manufacturers with the scale to offer sufficient supply to QVC’s existing and future customers. QVC maintains strong relationships with its vendors, which are attracted by the showcasing and story-telling elements of its programming, and the volume of sales during featured presentations.
QVC purchases, or obtains on consignment, products from U.S. and foreign manufacturers and wholesalers, often on favorable terms based upon the volume of the transactions. QVC has attracted some of the world's most respected consumer brands as well as celebrities, entrepreneurs and designers to promote these brands. Brand leaders such as HP, Apple, Barefoot Dreams, Dyson, Skechers and Philosophy reach a broad audience while product representatives share the stories behind these brands. QVC has agreements with celebrities, entrepreneurs and designers such as Isaac Mizrahi, Curtis Stone and Giuliana Rancic enabling it to provide entertaining and engaging programming that develops a lifestyle bond with its customers. These celebrity personalities and product representatives often provide pre-appearance publicity for their QVC products on their own social media pages and broadcast shows, enhancing demand during their QVC appearances. QVC presents and promotes across its networks, websites, mobile applications and social media platforms, allowing shoppers to engage with QVC on multiple platforms and devices.
QVC does not depend on any single supplier or designer for a significant portion of its inventory purchases.
Distribution
QVC distributes its programming via satellite and optical fiber, to cable television and direct-to-home satellite system operators for retransmission to its subscribers in the U.S., Germany, Japan, the U.K., Italy and neighboring countries. QVC also transmits its programming over digital terrestrial broadcast television to viewers throughout Italy, Germany, and the U.K. and to viewers in certain geographic regions in the U.S. In the U.S., QVC uplinks its digital programming transmissions using a third-party service or internal resources. The transmissions are uplinked to protected, non-preemptible transponders on U.S. satellites. "Protected" status means that, in the event of a transponder failure, QVC’s signal will be transferred to a spare transponder or, if none is available, to a preemptible transponder located on the same satellite or, in certain cases, to a transponder on another satellite owned by the same service provider if one is available at the time of the failure. "Non-preemptible" status means that, in the event of a transponder failure, QVC's transponders
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cannot be preempted in favor of a user of a failed transponder, even another user with "protected” status. The international business units each obtain uplinking services from third parties and transmit their programming to non-preemptible transponders on international satellites and terrestrial transmitters. The transponder service agreements for the U.S. transponders expire at the earlier of the end of the lives of the satellites or the service agreements. The service agreements for QxH expire between 2024 and 2025. The service agreements for QVC International transponders and terrestrial transmitters expire between 2024 and 2029.
QVC continually seeks to expand and enhance its broadcast and e-commerce platforms, as well as to further its international operations and multimedia capabilities. In addition to its websites and mobile applications, QVC continues to adapt to emerging technologies to offer elements of its programming via new technologies. To reach consumers who use online sources for viewing content, QVC programming is being offered through virtual multichannel video providers (including Hulu + Live TV, DirecTV Stream and YouTube TV), online video distributors and programming networks that provide its content directly to consumers over the internet rather than through traditional television services (including Facebook Live, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Xfinity Flex, and Samsung TV Plus). In 2022, QVC launched on The Roku Channel, a leader in free, ad-supported streaming TV.
Affiliation Agreements
QVC enters into long-term affiliation agreements with certain of its television distributors who downlink its programming and distribute the programming to customers. The majority of QVC's affiliation agreements with distributors have termination dates ranging from 2024 to 2029. QVC's ability to continue to sell products to its customers is dependent on its ability to maintain and renew these affiliation agreements in the future. Although QVC is typically successful in obtaining and renewing these agreements, it does not have distribution agreements with some of the distributors that carry its programming. QVC is currently providing programming without affiliation agreements to distributors representing approximately 6% of its QVC channel distribution and 1% of its HSN channel distribution. Some of its international programming may continue to be carried by distributors after the expiration dates on its affiliation agreements with such distributors have passed.
In return for carrying QVC's signals, most programming distributors for its U.S. distribution receive an allocated portion, based upon market share, of up to 5% of the net sales of merchandise sold via the television programs and from certain Internet sales to customers located in the programming distributor's service areas. In some cases, QVC also pays programming distributors additional compensation in the form of incentives in exchange for their commitments to maintain specific channel positioning benchmarks. QVC International programming distributors predominantly receive an agreed-upon annual fee, a monthly or yearly fee per subscriber regardless of the net sales, a variable percentage of net sales or some combination of the above arrangements.
In addition to sales-based commissions or per-subscriber fees, QVC also makes payments to distributors primarily in the U.S. for carriage and to secure channel positioning within a broadcast area or within the general entertainment area on the distributor's channel line-up. QVC believes that a portion of its sales are attributable to purchases resulting from channel “surfing” and that a channel position near broadcast networks and more popular cable networks increases the likelihood of such purchases. As technology evolves, QVC will continue to monitor optimal channel placement and attempt to negotiate agreements with its distributors to maximize the viewership of its television programming.
Demographics of customers
QVC enjoys a very loyal customer base, as demonstrated by the fact that for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, approximately 90% of its shipped sales came from repeat customers (i.e., customers who made a purchase from QVC during the prior twelve months), who spent an average of $1,442 each during this period. An additional 5% of shipped sales in that period came from new customers and the remaining 5% of shipped sales came from reactivated customers (i.e., customers who previously made a purchase from QVC, but not during the prior twelve months).
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On a trailing twelve month basis, total consolidated customers were approximately 12.1 million which includes 8.1 million QxH customers and 4.0 million QVC International customers. QVC believes its core customer base represents an attractive demographic target market. Based on internal customer data for QxH, approximately 36% of its 8.1 million customers for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 were women between the ages of 35 and 64.
QVC does not depend on any single customer for a significant portion of its revenue.
Order taking and fulfillment
QVC takes a majority of its orders via its websites and via mobile applications on iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Android and other devices. QxH and QVC International customers placed approximately 43% and 36%, respectively, of all orders directly through their mobile devices in 2023.
QVC primarily utilizes home based customer service agents to handle calls, e-mail contacts and social contacts, allowing staffing flexibility for peak volume hours. In addition, QVC utilizes computerized interactive voice response order systems for telephonic orders, which handle approximately 25% of all orders taken on a worldwide basis. QxH has seven distribution centers and QVC International has four distribution centers. QVC’s distribution centers and drop ship partners shipped, on average, 388,000 units per day at QxH and 172,000 units per day at QVC International during 2023.
QVC has built a scalable operating infrastructure focused on sustaining efficient, flexible and cost-effective sale and distribution of its products. Since its physical store locations are minimal, QVC requires lower inventory levels and capital expenditures compared to traditional brick-and-mortar retailers. Further, since QVC has no set “floor plan” and can closely manage inventory levels at its centralized warehouses, QVC believes it has the flexibility to analyze and react quickly to changing trends and demand by shifting programming time and product mix. QVC's cost structure is highly variable, which QVC believes allows it to consistently achieve attractive margins relative to brick-and-mortar retailers.
Third party carriers transport QVC's packages from its distribution centers to its customers. In each market where QVC operates, it has negotiated long-term contracts with shipping companies, which in certain circumstances provides for favorable shipping rates.
Competition
QVC operates in a rapidly evolving and highly competitive retail business environment. QVC has numerous and varied competitors at the national and local levels, ranging from large department stores to specialty shops, e-commerce retailers, direct marketing retailers, wholesale clubs, discount retailers, infomercial retailers, and mail-order and catalog companies. Some of QVC’s competitors, such as Amazon and Walmart, have a significantly greater web-presence. QVC believes that the principal competitive factors for its web-commerce operations are high-quality products, brand recognition, selection, value, convenience, price, website performance, customer service and accuracy of order shipment.
QVC believes that QxH is a leader in video shopping, e-commerce, mobile commerce and social commerce. QxH curates quality products at outstanding values, provides exceptional customer service, establishes favorable channel positioning and multiple touchpoints across digital platforms and generates repeat business from its core customer base. QxH sales compares favorably to general, non-video based retailers due to its extensive customer reach and efficient cost structure. QxH's closest video shopping competitor is ShopHQ and QVC International operations face similar competition in their respective markets, such as Jupiter Shop Channel in Japan, HSE in Germany and Austria, GM24 in Italy, and The Jewellery Channel, Gems TV, and JML Direct in the U.K.
QVC also competes for access to customers and audience share with other providers of broadcast, digital and hard copy entertainment and content. The price and availability of other programming and the conversion to digital programming platforms may unfavorably affect the placement of its programming in the channel line-ups of its distributors, and may affect its ability to obtain distribution agreements with small cable distributors. Competition from other programming also affects the compensation that must be paid to distributors for carriage. Principal competitive factors for
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QVC include (i) value, quality and selection of merchandise; (ii) customer experience, including customer service and speed, cost and reliability of fulfillment and delivery services; and (iii) convenience and accessibility of sales channels.
Intellectual Property
QVC regards its trademarks, service marks, patents, copyrights, domain names, trade dress, trade secrets, proprietary technologies and similar intellectual property as critical to its success. QVC relies on a combination of trademark, patent and copyright law, trade-secret protection, and confidentiality and/or license agreements with its employees, customers, suppliers, affiliates and others to protect these proprietary rights. QVC has registered, or applied for the registration of, a number of trademarks, service marks, patents, copyrights and domain names through U.S. and foreign governmental authorities and vigorously protects its proprietary rights against infringement.
In the U.S., QVC has registered trademarks and service marks including, but not limited to its brand names and logo, "QVC," "Quality Value Convenience," the "Q Logo," and "Q" and trademarks for its proprietary products sold such as "Arte D'Oro," "Cook's Essentials," "Denim & Co.," "Diamonique," “Nature’s Code,” "Northern Nights" and "Zuda." Similarly, foreign registrations have been obtained for many trademarks and service marks for its brand names, logo and propriety products including, but not limited to, "QVC," the "Q Logo," "Q," "Cook’s Essentials," "Denim & Co.," "Diamonique" and "Northern Nights."
HSN has numerous trademark registrations or pending applications in the U.S. which help to expand HSN’s brand awareness. These registrations and applications include the “HSN” brand name and the “HSN logo” as well as registrations for HSN’s proprietary products and services, including, but not limited to, “HSN Shop By Remote,” “Technibond,” and “Concierge Collection.”
QVC considers the "QVC" and “HSN” brands the most significant trademarks and service marks it holds because of their impact on market awareness across all of its geographic markets and on customers' identification with QVC. QVC’s trademark and service mark registrations in the U.S. for “QVC” and “HSN” are for a ten year period and are renewable every ten years, prior to their respective expirations, as long as the trademarks or service marks are used in the regular course of trade.
Seasonality
QVC's business is seasonal due to a higher volume of sales in the fourth calendar quarter related to year-end holiday shopping. In recent years, QVC has earned, on average, between 22% and 24% of its global revenue in each of the first three quarters of the year and approximately 30% of its global revenue in the fourth quarter of the year.
CBI
CBI consists of a portfolio of aspirational home and apparel brands. Although there is some overlap in the product offerings, the home brands are comprised of Ballard Designs, Frontgate, and Grandin Road. Garnet Hill focuses primarily on apparel and accessories and is categorized as an apparel brand. There are also 30 retail and outlet stores located throughout the U.S.
Frontgate features premium, high quality indoor (including bed, bath, kitchen, dining and living room) and outdoor (including patio, garden and pool) furnishings and accessories. Ballard Designs features European-inspired bed, bath, dining, outdoor and office furnishings and accessories, as well as rugs, shelving and architectural accents for the home. Grandin Road offers an affordable style assortment of products ranging from occasional furniture, accessories, holiday décor and outdoor furniture.
New editions of full-color catalogs are mailed to customers several times each year, with a total annual circulation in 2023 of approximately 111 million catalogs. The timing and frequency of catalog circulation varies by brand and depends upon a number of factors, including the timing of the introduction of new products, marketing campaigns and
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promotions and inventory levels, among other factors. Branded catalogs are designed in-house, which enables each individual brand to control the process.
CBI also operates websites for each of its featured brands, such as BallardDesigns.com, Frontgate.com, GarnetHill.com, and GrandinRoad.com. These websites serve as additional storefronts for products featured in related print catalogs, as well as provide customers with additional content and product assortments to support and enhance their shopping experience. Additional content provided by these websites, which differs across the various websites, includes decorating tips, measuring information, online design centers, gift registries and travel centers, as well as a feature that allows customers to browse the related catalog online.
The CBI brands differentiate themselves by offering customers an assortment of innovative proprietary and branded apparel and home products. In many cases, CBI seeks to secure exclusive distribution rights for certain products. CBI employs in-house designers and partners with leading manufacturers and designers to aid in the development of its unique, exclusive product assortment. The CBI brands use their respective websites and e-mail marketing to promote special offers, including cross-promotions for other CBI brands. CBI believes that these affiliations enhance the awareness of the CBI brands among consumers as well as strengthen its various brands overall. CBI has also been extending its distributed commerce platform through both its experiential and more traditional retail and outlet stores, as a marketing tool to increase demand in the overall regions where the stores reside.
Regulatory Matters
Programming and Interactive Television Services
Although QVC, a wholly owned subsidiary, markets and sells consumer products through a variety of outlets, it does so, in large part, through live video programming services distributed by cable television systems, satellite systems and over-the-air broadcasters. Consequently, regulation of programming services and the entities that distribute them can affect QVC. In the U.S., the FCC regulates broadcasters, the providers of satellite communications services and facilities for the transmission of programming services, the cable television systems and other multichannel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”) that distribute such services, and, to some extent, the availability of the programming services themselves through its regulation of program licensing. Cable television systems in the U.S. are also regulated by municipalities or other state and local government authorities. Regulatory carriage requirements also could adversely affect the number of channels available to QVC.
Regulation of Program Licensing. The Cable Television Consumer Protection and Competition Act of 1992 (the “1992 Cable Act”) directed the FCC to promulgate regulations regarding the sale and acquisition of cable programming between MVPDs (including cable operators) and satellite-delivered programming services in which a cable operator has an attributable interest. The 1992 Cable Act and implementing regulations generally prohibit a cable operator that has an attributable interest in a satellite programmer from improperly influencing the terms and conditions of sale to unaffiliated MVPDs. Further, the 1992 Cable Act requires that such affiliated programmers make their programming services available to cable operators and competing MVPDs such as multi-channel multi-point distribution systems and direct broadcast satellite system (“DBS”) distributors on terms and conditions that do not unfairly discriminate among distributors, and the FCC has established complaint enforcement and damages remedy procedures. FCC rules attribute the ownership interests in Charter and the cable operator subsidiaries of Liberty Broadband Corporation (“Liberty Broadband”) and Liberty Latin America Ltd.’s ownership interest in Liberty Communications of Puerto Rico LLC to us, thereby subjecting us and satellite-delivered programming services in which we have an interest to the program access rules. Our subsidiary QVC is subjected to program access rules as a result of the foregoing attributable interests under FCC rules. We are also subject to the program access rules as a condition of FCC approval of a transaction between Qurate Retail’s predecessor and News Corporation in 2008.
Regulation of Carriage of Programming. Under the 1992 Cable Act, the FCC has adopted regulations prohibiting cable operators from requiring a financial interest in a programming service as a condition to carriage of such service, coercing exclusive rights in a programming service or favoring affiliated programmers so as to restrain unreasonably the ability of unaffiliated programmers to compete. The FCC has established program carriage complaint rules. Our subsidiary QVC is subjected to program carriage rules as a result of our attributable interests under FCC rules discussed above.
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Regulation of Ownership. The 1992 Cable Act required the FCC, among other things, (1) to prescribe rules and regulations establishing reasonable limits on the number of channels on a cable system that will be allowed to carry programming in which the owner of such cable system has an attributable interest and (2) to consider the necessity and appropriateness of imposing limitations on the degree to which MVPDs (including cable operators) may engage in the creation or production of video programming. Previously adopted FCC channel occupancy rules, which limited carriage by a cable operator of national programming services in which that operator holds an attributable interest, were vacated and remanded by the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit (“D.C. Circuit”) in 2001.
Regulation of Carriage of Broadcast Stations. The 1992 Cable Act granted broadcasters a choice of must carry rights or retransmission consent rights. The rules adopted by the FCC generally provided for mandatory carriage by cable systems of all local full-power commercial television broadcast signals selecting must carry rights and, depending on a cable system's channel capacity, non-commercial television broadcast signals. Such statutorily mandated carriage of broadcast stations coupled with the provisions of the Cable Communications Policy Act of 1984, which require cable television systems with 36 or more "activated" channels to reserve a percentage of such channels for commercial use by unaffiliated third parties and permit franchise authorities to require the cable operator to provide channel capacity, equipment and facilities for public, educational and government access channels, could adversely affect QVC by limiting the carriage of such services in cable systems with limited channel capacity.
Closed Captioning Regulation. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 also required the FCC to establish rules and an implementation schedule to ensure that video programming is fully accessible to the hearing impaired through closed captioning. The rules adopted by the FCC require substantial closed captioning, with only limited exemptions. Regulations adopted by the FCC pursuant to the Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2010 require, among other things, that video programming owners to send caption files for IP delivered video programming to video programming distributors and providers along with program files. In 2014, the FCC adopted closed captioning quality standards regarding captioning accuracy, synchronicity, completeness and placement, and captioning best practices for programmers. In 2016, the FCC amended its closed captioning regulations to assign captioning compliance responsibility to programmers jointly with distributors, and to adopt certain registration, certification and complaint procedures applicable to programmers. The video programmer registration and compliance certification requirements of the amended rules have not yet become effective. As a result of these captioning requirements, QVC may incur additional costs for closed captioning.
Internet Services
Our e-commerce businesses are subject, both directly and indirectly, to various domestic and foreign laws and governmental regulations. Certain of these businesses engaged in the provision of goods and services over the Internet must comply with federal and state laws and regulations applicable to online communications and commerce. For example, the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act ("COPPA") prohibits web sites from collecting personally identifiable information online from children under age 13 without parental consent and imposes a number of operational requirements. The Federal Trade Commission ("FTC") has adopted regulations implementing COPPA. On December 20, 2023, the FTC released a notice of proposed rulemaking seeking comment on revisions to the FTC’s COPPA regulations that would, among other things, further restrict the use and disclosure of children’s personal information. Certain email activities are subject to the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, commonly known as the CAN-SPAM Act. The CAN-SPAM Act regulates the sending of unsolicited commercial email by requiring the email sender, among other things, to comply with specific disclosure requirements and to provide an "opt-out" mechanism for recipients. Both of these laws include statutory penalties for non-compliance. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act limits, but does not eliminate, liability for listing or linking to third party websites that may include content that infringes on copyrights or other rights so long as our Internet businesses comply with the statutory requirements. Various states also have adopted laws regulating certain aspects of Internet communications. In 2016, Congress enacted a permanent moratorium on state and local taxes on Internet access.
Our online commerce businesses also are subject to laws governing the collection, use, retention, security and transfer of personally-identifiable information about their users. In particular, the collection and use of personal information by companies has received increased regulatory scrutiny on a global basis. The enactment, interpretation and application of user data protection laws are in a state of flux, and the interpretation and application of such laws may vary
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from country to country. For example, the European Union’s (“E.U.”) General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”) which established new data laws that give customers additional rights and impose additional restrictions and penalties on companies for illegal collection and misuse of personal information, took effect in May 2018. Further, in 2015, the Court of Justice of the E.U. invalidated the “Safe Harbor Framework,” which had allowed companies to collect and process personal data in E.U. nations for use in the U.S. The E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield which replaced the Safe Harbor Framework and became fully operational in 2016, provided a mechanism to comply with data protection requirements when transferring personal data from the E.U. to the U.S. On July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union invalidated the E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield, and imposed new obligations on the use of Standard Contractual Clauses ("SCCs") - another key mechanism to allow data transfers between the U.S. and the E.U. The European Commission adopted revised SCCs on June 4, 2021. In March 2022, the U.S. and the European Commission announced a new Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework (“DPF”) to replace the E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield. On December 13, 2022, the European Commission issued an adequacy decision initiating the formal adoption process for the DPF, and the E.U. formally adopted the adequacy decision on July 10, 2023. The U.S. and the E.U. implemented the DPF in July 2023. On February 10, 2021, the Council of the E.U. adopted final regulations regarding privacy and electronic communications that would complement the GDPR, including additional regulation of the Internet tracking tools known as “cookies.” The final regulations are subject to review by the European Parliament and the European Commission, and the timing of enactment of the final regulations is uncertain. Following the “Brexit” withdrawal of the United Kingdom (“U.K.”) from the E.U. on June 28, 2021, the European Commission determined that the U.K.’s data protection laws essentially are equivalent to the data protection laws in the European Economic Area. Finally, countries in other regions, most notably Asia, Eastern Europe and Latin America, are increasingly implementing new privacy regulations, resulting in additional compliance burdens and uncertainty as to how some of these laws will be enforced.
In the U.S., Congress may consider legislation that would require organizations that suffer a breach of security related to personal information to notify owners of such information. Many states have adopted laws requiring notification to users when there is a security breach affecting personal data, such as California's Information Practices Act. California also has enacted the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (“CCPA”), which, among other things, allows California consumers to request that certain companies disclose the types of personal information collected by such companies. The CCPA became effective on January 1, 2020. The California Attorney General has issued regulations and guidance regarding the law. In November 2020, California voters approved the California Privacy Rights Act of 2020 (“CPRA”), which amends and extends the CCPA and establishes the California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforce consumer privacy laws. Most of the CPRA’s provisions became effective on January 1, 2023. A growing number of states have enacted privacy laws in recent years. In 2023, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas enacted such laws. In addition to California, Colorado, Virginia, Utah and Connecticut also have enacted privacy legislation. Complying with these different national and state privacy requirements may cause the Company to incur substantial costs. The Company also generally has and posts on its websites privacy policies and practices regarding the collection, use and disclosure of user data. A failure to comply with such posted privacy policies or with the regulatory requirements of federal, state, or foreign privacy laws could result in proceedings or actions by governmental agencies or others (such as class action litigation) which could adversely affect the Company’s business. Technical violations of certain privacy laws can result in significant penalties, including statutory penalties. In 2012, the FCC amended its regulations under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act ("TCPA"), which could subject our Internet businesses to increased liability for certain telephonic communications with customers, including but not limited to text messages to mobile phones. Under the TCPA, plaintiffs may seek actual monetary loss or statutory damages of $500 per violation, whichever is greater, and courts may treble such damage awards for willful or knowing violations. Data collection, privacy and security are growing public concerns. If consumers were to decrease their use of our Internet businesses' websites to purchase products and services, such businesses could be harmed. Congress, individual states and foreign authorities may consider additional online privacy legislation.
Goods sold over the Internet also must comply with traditional regulatory requirements, such as the FTC requirements regarding truthful and accurate claims. QVC is subject to consent decrees issued by the FTC barring it from making deceptive claims for specified weight-loss products and dietary supplement and anti-cellulite products unless they have competent and reliable scientific evidence to substantiate such claims. Other Internet-related laws and regulations enacted in the future may cover issues such as defamatory speech, copyright infringement, pricing and characteristics and quality of products and services. The future adoption of such laws or regulations may slow the growth of commercial online services and the Internet, which could in turn cause a decline in the demand for the services and products of our
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online commerce businesses and increase their costs of doing business or otherwise have an adverse effect on their businesses, operating results and financial conditions. Moreover, the applicability to commercial online services and the Internet of existing laws governing issues such as property ownership, libel, personal privacy and taxation is uncertain and could expose these companies to substantial liability.
In 2015, the FCC adopted open Internet rules that reclassified wireline and wireless broadband services as Title II common carrier services and regulate broadband services offered by Internet service providers (“ISPs”) under Title II, Title III and Section 706 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Among other things, the regulations prohibited ISPs from: (1) blocking access to, or impairing or degrading, legal content, applications, services or non-harmful devices; and (2) favoring selected Internet traffic in exchange for consideration. In 2017, the FCC adopted a Declaratory Ruling, Report and Order (“2017 Order”) that, among other things, eliminates these prohibitions. The 2017 Order does require ISPs to disclose information to consumers regarding practices such as throttling, paid prioritization and affiliated prioritization. In 2019, the D.C. Circuit ruled on numerous appeals by interested parties and largely upheld the 2017 Order. On October 19, 2023, the FCC adopted a notice of proposed rulemaking in which, the FCC, among other things, again proposes to classify broadband Internet access service as a telecommunications service subject to regulation under Title II of the Communications Act (“2023 Notice”) and prohibit ISPs from blocking or throttling information transmitted over their networks, or engaging in paid or affiliated prioritization agreements. The FCC likely will adopt some form of the rules proposed in the 2023 Notice during 2024 following completion of the FCC’s public comment period. Any new rules may be challenged in United States Federal Court. California has adopted requirements similar to the open Internet rules, and other states may consider similar legislation.
Regulations Related to China
For more information regarding regulations related to U.S. trade policy with China, see the risk factor “Significant developments stemming from U.S. and international trade policy with China, including in response to forced labor and human rights abuses in China may adversely impact our business and operating results” in Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”
Proposed Changes in Regulation
The regulation of programming services, cable television systems, DBS providers, Internet services, online sales and other forms of product marketing is subject to the political process and has been in constant flux over the past decade. Further material changes in the law and regulatory requirements must be anticipated and there can be no assurance that our business will not be adversely affected by future legislation, new regulation or deregulation.
Competition
Our businesses that engage in video and online commerce compete with traditional brick-and-mortar and online retailers ranging from large department stores to specialty shops, electronic retailers, direct marketing retailers, such as mail order and catalog companies, and discount retailers. Due to the nature of these businesses there is not a single or small group of competitors that own a significant portion of the overall market share. However, some of these competitors, such as Amazon and Walmart, have a significantly greater web-presence. We believe that the principal competitive factors in the markets in which our electronic commerce businesses compete are high-quality products, brand recognition, selection, value, convenience, price, website performance, customer service and accuracy of order shipment. Our businesses that offer services through the Internet compete with businesses that offer their own services directly through the Internet as well as with traditional offline providers of similar services. We believe that the principal competitive factors in the markets in which our businesses that offer services through the Internet engage are selection, price, availability of inventory, convenience, brand recognition, accessibility, customer service, reliability, website performance, and ease of use.
Human Capital
Headcount. As described above, our Company is party to a Services Agreement with LMC, pursuant to which, as of December 31, 2023, 86 LMC corporate employees provide certain management services to the Company for a
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determined fee. As a result, our Company is not responsible for the hiring, retention and compensation of these individuals (except that our Company does grant equity incentive awards to these individuals). However, our Company directly benefits from the efforts undertaken by LMC to attract and retain talented employees. LMC strives to create a diverse, inclusive and supportive workplace, with opportunities for its employees to grow and develop in their careers, supported by competitive compensation, benefits and health and wellness programs, and by programs that build connections between its employees and their communities. Our Company fully supports these efforts.
Additionally, as of December 31, 2023, our consolidated subsidiaries had an aggregate of approximately 20,300 full and part-time employees. Employment levels fluctuate due to seasonal factors affecting our business. Additionally, our consolidated subsidiaries utilize independent contractors and temporary staffing agency personnel to supplement their workforce, particularly on a seasonal basis. We believe that our employee relations are good and a key factor in our workforce strategy.
Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (“DE&I”). We remain committed to fostering an inclusive culture that ensures fairness and a sense of belonging for our employees, business partners and the customer experiences we offer by leveraging diversity in all its forms to deliver on our promise to continuously exceed expectations. Our DE&I commitments focus on the following areas: leadership representation, leadership accountability, education and awareness, culture, consumers & marketplace, community impact, and transparency. We serve a broad and diverse range of customers around the world and we strive to understand the lives they lead in order to deliver authentic customer experiences with meaningful curated products. For this reason, we embrace the benefits that the diverse backgrounds, perspectives and experiences of our employees bring to our culture and the decisions we make. We aim to ensure that we consistently apply a lens of inclusion and equity in our processes and decisions relating to our employees, business partners, products, and customer experiences. We are taking steps to help employees discover new perspectives, build empathy, have critical conversations about topics such as race, microaggressions and allyship, and support each other. We have expanded Team Member Resource Groups to promote employee connections, career development, community impact and consumer and marketplace growth. We are delivering our DE&I training to all employees via online modules, videos, e-learning, and in-person facilitated experiences. We are also continuing our efforts to attract and grow diverse talent and suppliers, offer inclusive product assortments, and ensure broad representation in our marketing, digital, and on-air activities.
Employee Engagement and Enablement. To improve employee engagement and enablement, our consolidated subsidiaries conduct an annual employee engagement survey and various pulse surveys throughout the year on topics such as company direction, leadership, culture, performance and rewards, and change management. The results of these surveys are used by management to improve the overall employee experience and retention, as well as help to inform our approach to company programs and practices. For example, based in part on feedback from team members regarding work from home arrangements instituted in response to the outbreak of COVID-19, in 2022 we introduced a new flexible distributed workforce model which allows some of our team members to have the option to work from home most of the time based on a schedule approved by our team members’ respective management team.
Health and Safety. We are committed to maintaining a safe and secure work environment and have specific safety programs and protocols in place to protect our team members. This includes administering a comprehensive occupational injury- and illness-prevention program and training for team members. In addition to offering a variety of comprehensive health benefits plans, we also offer our team members a variety of mental, emotional, and physical wellness resources, among a number of other initiatives, such as greater access to telemedicine and home care help. Where applicable, we continue to comply with country, state and local restrictions related to addressing COVID-19 and similar health risks.
Available Information
All of our filings with the SEC, including our Form 10-Ks, Form 10-Qs and Form 8-Ks, as well as amendments to such filings are available on our Internet website free of charge generally within 24 hours after we file such material with the SEC. Our website address is www.qurateretail.com.
Our corporate governance guidelines, code of business conduct and ethics, compensation committee charter, nominating and corporate governance committee charter, and audit committee charter are available on our website. In addition, we will provide a copy of any of these documents, free of charge, to any shareholder who calls or submits a
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request in writing to Investor Relations, Qurate Retail, Inc., 12300 Liberty Boulevard, Englewood, Colorado 80112, Tel. No. (866) 876-0461.
The information contained on our website and the websites of our subsidiaries and affiliated businesses mentioned throughout this report are not incorporated by reference herein.

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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Item 1A. Risk Factors
The risks described below and elsewhere in this Annual Report are not the only ones that relate to our businesses or our capitalization. The risks described below are considered to be the most material. However, there may be other unknown or unpredictable economic, business, competitive, regulatory or other factors that also could have material adverse effects on our businesses. Past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance and historical trends should not be used to anticipate results or trends in future periods. If any of the events described below were to occur, our businesses, prospects, financial condition, results of operations and/or cash flows could be materially adversely affected.
Risk Factor Summary
The following is a summary of the material risk factors that could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations
Risks Related to Our Financial Condition and Business
● Improvements in operating results from expected savings in operating costs from Project Athens and other cost saving and business improvement initiatives may not be realized in the anticipated amounts, may take longer to be realized, or could be realized only for a limited period.
● Our subsidiary QVC depends on the television distributors that carry its programming, and no assurance can be given that QVC will be able to maintain and renew its affiliation agreements on favorable terms or at all.
● Our businesses are subject to risks of adverse government regulation, and we may be subject to claims for representations made in connection with the sale and promotion of merchandise or for harm experienced by customers who purchase merchandise from us.
● New legislation or regulations related to climate change and increased focus by governmental and non-governmental organizations, stockholders and customers on sustainability issues may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
● Our subsidiaries and business affiliates conduct their businesses under highly competitive conditions.
● The sales and operating results of our businesses depend on their ability to attract new customers, retain existing customers and predict or respond to consumer preferences.
● The failure of our subsidiary QVC to maintain suitable placement for its programming or to adapt to changes in consumer behavior driven by online video distribution platforms for viewing content could adversely affect its ability to attract and retain television viewers and could result in a decrease in revenue.
● Any continued or permanent inability of QVC to transmit its programming via satellite would result in lost revenue and could result in lost customers.
● Our subsidiaries offer installment payment options on most of their respective merchandise. Failure to effectively manage such installment payment options could negatively impact our results of operations.
● Certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates may fail to adequately protect their intellectual property rights or may be accused of infringing intellectual property rights of third parties.
● Natural disasters, political crises, and other catastrophic events or other events outside of our control, including climate change, may damage our facilities or the facilities of third parties on which we depend, adversely affect our ability to operate our businesses and have broader effects.
● Increases in labor costs could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
● The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted, and future pandemics or epidemics may negatively impact, our business, key financial and operating metrics, and results of operations in numerous ways.
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● Impairment of our goodwill or other intangible assets could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
● Use of social media and influencers may materially and adversely affect our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties.
Risks Related to Technology and Information Security
● Rapid technological advances could render the products and services offered by our subsidiaries and our business affiliates obsolete or non-competitive.
● Our E-commerce business could be negatively affected by changes in third-party digital platform algorithms and dynamics as well as our inability to monetize the resulting web traffic.
● System interruption and the lack of integration and redundancy in the systems and infrastructures of our subsidiary QVC and our other online commerce and catalog businesses may adversely affect their ability to, as applicable, operate their businesses, transmit their television programs, operate websites, process and fulfill transactions, respond to customer inquiries and generally maintain cost-efficient operations.
● The processing, storage, sharing, use, disclosure and protection of personal data could give rise to liabilities as a result of governmental regulation, conflicting legal requirements or differing views of personal privacy rights.
● Our businesses may experience difficulty in the ongoing development, implementation and customer acceptance of applications for personal electronic devices, which could harm their business.
● Our businesses and information systems are subject to cybersecurity risks, including cybersecurity threats and cybersecurity incidents.
Risks Related to our Facilities and Third-Party Suppliers and Vendors
● Our programming and online commerce businesses rely on distribution facilities to operate their business, and any damage to one of these facilities, or any disruptions caused by incorporating new facilities into their operations, could have a material adverse impact on their business.
● Our home television and online commerce businesses rely on independent shipping companies to deliver the products they sell.
● Our programming and online commerce businesses depend on their relationships with third party suppliers and vendors and any adverse changes in these relationships could adversely affect our results of operations.
● The unanticipated loss of certain larger vendors or the consolidation of our programming and online commerce businesses’ vendors could negatively impact their sales and profitability on a short term basis.
Risks Related to the Seasonality of Our Business
● Certain of our businesses face significant inventory risk.
● The seasonality of certain of our businesses places increased strain on their operations.
Risk Related to Management and Key Personnel
● The success of our home television and online commerce businesses depends in large part on their ability to recruit and retain key personnel capable of executing their unique business models.
● We have overlapping directors and officers with LMC, Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (“TripAdvisor Holdings”), Liberty Broadband, and Atlanta Braves Holdings, Inc. (“ABH”), which may lead to conflicting interests.
Risks Related to Economic Conditions
● Certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates have operations outside of the U.S. that are subject to numerous operational and financial risks.
● Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may lead to lower revenues and earnings.
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● Weak and uncertain economic conditions worldwide may reduce consumer demand for our businesses’ products and services.
● Increases in market interest rates could increase our operating costs and decrease consumer demand, which may adversely affect our businesses.
● Significant developments stemming from U.S. and international trade policy with China, including in response to forced labor and human rights abuses in China, may adversely impact our businesses and operating results.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Common Stock
● Our subsidiary QVC has significant indebtedness, which could limit its flexibility in responding to current market conditions, restrict its business activity and adversely affect our financial condition.
● QVC may need to refinance its indebtedness.
● Covenants in QVC’s debt agreements restrict its business in many ways.
● A substantial portion of our consolidated debt and other liabilities is held above the operating subsidiary level, and we could be unable in the future to obtain cash in amounts sufficient to service those liabilities and our other financial obligations.
● We have disposed of the reference shares underlying the exchangeable debentures of LI LLC, which exposes us to liquidity risk.
● Transactions in our common stock by our insiders could depress the market price of our common stock.
● It may be difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so may be beneficial to our stockholders.
Risks Related to Our Financial Condition and Business
Improvements in operating results from expected savings in operating costs from Project Athens and other cost saving and business improvement initiatives may not be realized in the anticipated amounts, may take longer to be realized, or could be realized only for a limited period. In 2022, Qurate Retail announced Project Athens, a five-point turnaround plan designed to stabilize and differentiate its QVC U.S. and HSN brands and expand the Company’s leadership in video streaming commerce. The first phase of Project Athens was commenced in 2022, which included actions to reduce inventory and a planned workforce reduction that was completed in February 2023. It is expected that Project Athens will complete its objectives by the end of 2025. However, in order to implement this or any other future cost savings or business improvement initiatives, we have incurred, or expect to incur, additional expenses, which could adversely impact our financial results prior to the realization of the expected benefits associated with the initiatives. These initiatives could also divert the attention of management and cause disruptions in the Company’s business, which could have an adverse impact on the business and financial results. Due to numerous factors or future developments, we may not achieve cost reductions or other business improvements consistent with our expectations or the benefits may be delayed. These factors or future developments could include the incurrence of higher than expected costs or delays in workforce reduction measures, actual savings differing from anticipated cost savings, anticipated benefits from business improvement initiatives not materializing and disruptions to normal operations or other unintended adverse impacts resulting from the initiatives.
Our subsidiary QVC depends on the television distributors that carry its programming, and no assurance can be given that QVC will be able to maintain and renew its affiliation agreements on favorable terms or at all. QVC currently distributes its programming through affiliation or transmission agreements with many television service providers, including, but not limited to, Comcast, DIRECTV, Charter, DISH, Verizon, and Cox in the U.S., Vodafone TV Connect and Vodafone GigaTV, Freenet TV, SES ASTRA, Telekom Matenta TV, PYUR, A1 Xplore TV, Jupiter Telecommunications, Ltd., BS Nippon Corporation, The Sky Perfect JSAT Group, World Hi-Vision Channel, Inc., Sky UK, Freesat, Freeview, Virgin Media, Tivu Tivusat and Sky Italia internationally. The majority of QVC’s affiliation agreements with its distributors are scheduled to expire between 2024 and 2029 unless renewed prior to the applicable expiration.
As part of normal course renewal discussions, occasionally QVC has disagreements with its distributors over the terms of its carriage, such as channel placement or other contract terms. If not resolved through business negotiation, such disagreements could result in litigation or termination of an existing agreement. Termination of an existing agreement
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resulting in the loss of distribution of QVC’s programming to a material portion of its television households may adversely affect its growth, net revenue and earnings.
The renewal negotiation process for affiliation agreements is typically lengthy. In some cases, renewals are not agreed upon prior to the expiration of a given agreement while the programming continues to be carried by the relevant distributor without an effective agreement in place. QVC does not have distribution agreements with some of the cable operators that carry its programming. In total, QVC is currently providing programming without affiliation agreements to distributors representing approximately 6% of its QVC U.S. distribution, and approximately 1% of its HSN cable television distribution. Some of QVC’s international programming may continue to be carried by distributors after the expiration dates on its affiliation agreements with such distributors have passed.
QVC may be unable to obtain renewals with its current distributors on acceptable terms, if at all. QVC may also be unable to successfully negotiate affiliation agreements with new or existing distributors to carry its programming and no assurance can be given that they will be successful in negotiating renewals with these distributors or that the financial and other terms of these renewals will be acceptable. Although QVC considers its current levels of distribution without written agreement to be ordinary course, the failure to successfully renew or negotiate new affiliation agreements covering a material portion of television households could result in a discontinuation of carriage that may adversely affect its viewership, growth, net revenue and earnings.
Our businesses are subject to risks of adverse government regulation, and we may be subject to claims for representations made in connection with the sale and promotion of merchandise or for harm experienced by customers who purchase merchandise from us. Our programming business, QVC, markets and provides a broad range of merchandise through television shopping programs and proprietary websites. As a result, our businesses are subject to a wide variety of laws, rules, regulations, policies and procedures in various jurisdictions, including foreign jurisdictions, which are subject to change at any time, including laws regarding consumer protection, privacy, the regulation of retailers generally, the license requirements for television retailers in foreign jurisdictions, the importation, sale and promotion of merchandise and the operation of retail stores and warehouse facilities, as well as laws and regulations applicable to the Internet and businesses engaged in e-commerce, such as those regulating the sending of unsolicited, commercial electronic mail and texts. Additionally, QVC accepts payments for its products using a variety of methods. For existing and future payment options QVC offers to its customers, QVC currently is subject to, and may become subject to additional, regulations and compliance requirements (including obligations to implement enhanced authentication processes that could result in significant costs and reduce the ease of use of its payment products). The failure by our businesses to comply with these laws and regulations could result in a revocation of required licenses, fines and/or proceedings by governmental agencies and/or consumers, which could adversely affect our businesses, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, unfavorable changes in the laws, rules and regulations applicable to our businesses could decrease demand for our businesses’ products and services, increase costs and/or subject our businesses to additional liabilities. Similarly, new disclosure and reporting requirements, established under existing or new state, federal or foreign laws, such as regulatory rules regarding requirements to disclose efforts to identify the origin and existence of certain “conflict minerals” or abusive labor practices in portions of QVC’s supply chains, could increase the cost of doing business, adversely affecting our results of operations. In addition, certain of these regulations may impact the marketing efforts of our businesses and their brands.
As mentioned above, the manner in which certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates sell and promote merchandise and related claims and representations made in connection with these efforts is regulated by federal, state and local law, as well as the laws of the foreign countries in which they operate. Certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates may be exposed to potential liability from claims by purchasers or by regulators and law enforcement agencies, including, but not limited to, claims for personal injury, wrongful death and damage to personal property relating to merchandise sold and misrepresentation of merchandise features and benefits. In certain instances, these subsidiaries and business affiliates have the right to seek indemnification for related liabilities from their respective vendors and may require such vendors to carry minimum levels of product liability and errors and omissions insurance. These vendors, however, may be unable to satisfy indemnification claims, obtain suitable coverage or maintain this coverage on acceptable terms, or insurance may provide inadequate coverage or be unavailable with respect to a particular claim.
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In addition, programming services, cable television systems, the Internet, telephony services and satellite service providers are subject to varying degrees of regulation in the U.S. by the FCC and other entities and in foreign countries by similar regulators. Such regulation and legislation are subject to the political process and have been in constant flux over the past decade. The application of various sales and use tax provisions under state, local and foreign law to the products and services of our subsidiaries and certain of our business affiliates sold via the Internet, television and telephone is subject to interpretation by the applicable taxing authorities, and no assurance can be given that such authorities will not take a contrary position to that taken by our subsidiaries and certain of our business affiliates, which could have a material adverse effect on their businesses. In addition, there have been numerous attempts at the federal, state and local levels to impose additional taxes on online commerce transactions. Moreover, most foreign countries in which our subsidiaries or business affiliates have, or may in the future make, an investment, regulate, in varying degrees, the distribution, content and ownership of programming services and foreign investment in programming companies and the Internet.
Certain of our businesses are subject to consent decrees issued by the FTC barring them from making deceptive claims for specified weight-loss, dietary supplement and anti-cellulite products unless they have competent and reliable scientific evidence to substantiate such claims. In October 2023, HSN entered into a settlement agreement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) in which HSN agreed to pay a civil penalty of $16 million to settle the CPSC’s claims that HSN allegedly failed to timely submit a report under the Consumer Product Safety Act (“CPSA”) in relation to handheld clothing steamers sold by HSN under the Joy Mangano brand names My Little Steamer and My Little Steamer® Go Mini that were subject to a voluntary recall previously announced on May 26, 2021. The settlement agreement also requires HSN to implement and maintain a compliance program to ensure compliance with the CPSA. Violation of these consent decrees and settlement agreements may result in the imposition of significant civil penalties for non-compliance and related redress to consumers and/or the issuance of an injunction enjoining these businesses from engaging in prohibited activities. Further material changes in the law and increased regulatory requirements must be anticipated, and there can be no assurance that our businesses and or any of our assets will not become subject to increased expenses or more stringent restrictions as a result of any future legislation, new regulation or deregulation.
New legislation or regulations related to climate change and increased focus by governmental and non-governmental organizations, stockholders and customers on sustainability issues may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Federal, state and local governments, as well as some of our customers, are beginning to respond to climate change issues. This increased focus on sustainability may result in new legislation or regulations and customer requirements that could negatively affect us as we may incur additional costs or be required to make changes to our operations in order to comply with any new regulations or customer requirements. On March 21, 2022, the SEC proposed new rules relating to the disclosure of a range of climate-related risks, with final rules expected to be adopted in April 2024. We are currently assessing the proposed rule, but at this time we cannot predict the costs of implementation or any potential adverse impacts resulting from the rule as proposed. To the extent this rule is finalized as proposed, we could incur increased costs relating to the assessment and disclosure of climate-related risks.
Legislation or regulations related to climate change that potentially impose restrictions, caps, taxes or other controls on energy use, packaging and waste, sustainable supply chain practices, animal health and welfare and water use may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. Such restrictions, caps, taxes or other controls related to climate change may also increase the operating costs of our various vendors, which in turn could increase our cost of doing business or impact our revenues. Additionally, if our various vendors are unable or unwilling to comply with providing us the necessary greenhouse gas information potentially required by legislative or regulatory actions related to climate change, our cost of disclosure, revenues or reputation may be materially adversely affected. In addition, our revenues could decrease if we are unable to meet customer sustainability requirements or competitive pressures to source products that are perceived as “green.” These additional costs, changes in operations or loss of revenues may have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
Our subsidiaries and business affiliates conduct their businesses under highly competitive conditions. Although QVC is one of the nation’s largest home shopping networks, it has numerous and varied competitors at the national and local levels, ranging from large department stores to specialty shops, electronic retailers, direct marketing retailers, wholesale clubs, discount retailers, infomercial retailers, and Internet retailers. In addition, QVC competes with other televised shopping retailers, such as ShopHQ and Jewelry TV in the U.S., Shop Channel in Japan, HSE 24 in Germany and Austria, GM24 in Italy, and Ideal World in the U.K., infomercial retailers, Internet retailers, including livestream
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shopping retailers, and mail-order and catalog companies. QVC also competes for access to customers and audience share with other providers of televised, online and hard copy entertainment and content. Similarly, CBI competes with e-commerce businesses such as Amazon.com, Inc. and Alibaba Group, the e-commerce platforms of traditional retailers such as Target Corporation and Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., and online marketplaces such as eBay Inc. CBI also competes with other mail-order and catalog companies. Competition is characterized by many factors, including assortment, advertising, price, quality, services, accessibility, the attractiveness and ease of use of digital platforms, cost and speed of options for delivery, reputation and credit availability, as well as the financial, technical and marketing expertise of competitors. For example, many of our businesses’ competitors have greater resources, longer histories, more customers and greater brand recognition than our businesses do, and competitors may secure better terms from vendors, adopt more aggressive pricing, offer free or subsidized shipping and devote more resources to technology, fulfillment and marketing. In addition, many retailers, especially online retailers with whom our subsidiaries and business affiliates compete, are currently offering customers more competitive shipping and returns terms than QVC, including faster delivery and free or discounted shipping and returns. As a result of these practices, our subsidiaries and business affiliates may experience further competitive pressures to attract customers and/or to change their shipping programs. Other companies also may enter into business combinations or alliances that strengthen their competitive positions. Such business combinations or alliances may result in competitors with greatly improved financial resources, improved access to merchandise, greater market penetration than they previously enjoyed and other improvements in their competitive positions. This may cause QVC’s customers to elect to purchase products from a competitor that they would have historically purchased from QVC, resulting in less revenue to QVC. If our subsidiaries and business affiliates do not compete effectively with regard to these factors, our results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Moreover, although our subsidiaries and business affiliates sell a variety of exclusive products, one of the most significant challenges our subsidiaries and business affiliates face is competition on the basis of price. Price is of great importance to most customers, and price transparency and comparability continues to increase, particularly as a result of digital technology. The ability of consumers to compare prices on a real-time basis puts additional pressure on our subsidiaries and business affiliates to maintain competitive prices. Additionally, as a result of inflationary pressures currently being experienced in many markets, our cost to obtain, import and deliver the products we sell has increased, which has required us to charge consumers more for those products, or reduce our margin on those products, or both. These price increases may result in us being unable to maintain competitive prices with other retailers.
In addition, many retailers, especially online retailers with whom our subsidiaries and business affiliates compete, are currently offering customers more competitive shipping and returns terms, including faster delivery and free or discounted shipping and returns. As a result of these practices, our subsidiaries and business affiliates may experience further competitive pressures to attract customers and/or to change their shipping programs. Our subsidiaries and business affiliates ability to be competitive on delivery times and shipping costs depends on many factors, and their failure to successfully manage these factors and offer competitive shipping terms could negatively impact the demand for their products and our profit margins.
The sales and operating results of our businesses depend on their ability to attract new customers, retain existing customers and predict or respond to consumer preferences. In an effort to attract and retain customers, these businesses engage in various merchandising and marketing initiatives, which involve the expenditure of money and resources. For example, QVC and CBI have spent, and expect to continue to spend, increasing amounts of money on, and devote greater resources to, certain of these initiatives, particularly in connection with the growth and maintenance of their brands generally, as well as in the continuing efforts of their businesses to increasingly engage customers through online digital marketing. These initiatives, however, may not resonate with existing customers or consumers generally or may not be cost-effective. In addition, costs associated with the production and distribution of television programming (in the case of QVC), paper and printing costs for catalogs (in the case of CBI) and costs associated with digital marketing, including marketing on third-party platforms such as Google and Facebook, have increased and are likely to continue to increase in the foreseeable future and, if significant, could have a material adverse effect to the extent that they do not result in corresponding increases in net revenue. These companies also continuously develop new retail concepts and adjust their product mix in an effort to satisfy customer demands. Any sustained failure to identify and respond to emerging trends in lifestyle and consumer preferences could have a material adverse effect on the businesses of these subsidiaries and business affiliates. Consumer spending may be affected by many factors outside of their control, including competition from store-
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based retailers, mail-order and third-party Internet companies, consumer confidence and preferences, and general economic conditions.
The failure of our subsidiary QVC to maintain suitable placement for its programming or to adapt to changes in consumer behavior driven by online video distribution platforms for viewing content could adversely affect its ability to attract and retain television viewers and could result in a decrease in revenue. QVC is dependent upon the continued ability of its programming to compete for viewers. Effectively competing for television viewers is dependent, in substantial part, on its ability to negotiate and maintain placement of its programming at a favorable channel position, such as in a basic tier or within a general entertainment or general broadcasting tier. Less favorable channel position for QVC’s programming, such as placement adjacent to programming that does not complement its programming, a position next to its televised home shopping competitors or isolation in a "shopping" tier or lack of high-definition formatted presentation could adversely affect QVC’s ability to attract television viewers to its programming.
Changes in consumer behavior driven by online video distribution platforms for viewing content may have an adverse impact on QVC’s business. Distribution platforms for viewing content over the internet have been, and will likely continue to be, developed that further increase the competition for viewers of programming. These distribution platforms are driving changes in consumer behavior as consumers seek more control over when, where and how they consume content.
Consumers are increasingly turning to online sources for viewing content, which has and likely will continue to reduce the number of viewers of our television programming. Although QVC has attempted to adapt its offerings to changing consumer behaviors, virtual multichannel video providers, online video distributors and programming networks providing their content directly to consumers over the internet rather than through traditional television services continue to emerge, gain consumer acceptance and disrupt traditional television distribution services, which QVC relies on for the distribution of its television programming.
An increasing number of companies offering streaming services, including some with exclusive high-quality original video programming, as well as programming networks offering content directly to consumers over the internet, have increased the number of entertainment choices available to consumers, which has intensified audience fragmentation. The increase in entertainment choices adversely affects the viewership of our programming.
QVC’s future success will depend, in part, on its ability to anticipate and adapt to technological changes and to offer elements of its programming via new technologies in a cost-effective manner that meet customer demands and evolving industry standards. QVC’s failure to effectively anticipate or adapt to emerging technologies or competitors or changes in consumer behavior, including among younger consumers, could have an adverse effect on QVC’s competitive position, businesses and results of operations.
Any continued or permanent inability of QVC to transmit its programming via satellite would result in lost revenue and could result in lost customers. The success of our subsidiary QVC is dependent upon its continued ability to transmit its programming to television providers from its satellite uplink facilities, and for QVC’s distributors to continue to receive its programming at its satellite earth station downlink facilities. These transmissions are subject to FCC regulation and compliance with the U.S. and foreign regulatory requirements in QVC’s international operations. In most cases, QVC has entered into long-term satellite transponder leases to provide for continued carriage of its programming on replacement transponders and/or replacement satellites, as applicable, in the event of a failure of either the transponders and/or satellites currently carrying its programming. Although QVC believes that it takes reasonable and customary measures to ensure continued satellite transmission capability and believes that these international transponder service agreements can be renewed (or replaced, if necessary) in the ordinary course of business, termination or interruption of satellite transmissions may occur, particularly if QVC is not able to successfully negotiate renewals or replacements of any of its expiring transponder service agreements in the future.
Our subsidiaries offer their installment payment option on most of their merchandise and, in certain circumstances offer it as the default payment option. The failure of our subsidiaries QVC U.S., QVC International and HSN to effectively manage their installment sales plans and revolving credit card programs as applicable, could negatively impact our results of operations. QVC offers an installment payment option in all of its markets other than Japan, which is available on certain merchandise it sells. This installment payment option is called “Easy-Pay” at QVC
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U.S. and in the U.K., “Q-Pay” in Germany and Italy, and “Flex-Pay” at HSN. QVC’s installment payment option is currently offered on most of its merchandise and for QVC U.S. website and mobile sales, is set as the default payment option on all products on which it is offered. Full payment for merchandise at the time of sale would require the customer to affirmatively change to that option. QVC’s installment payment option, when offered, allows customers to pay for certain merchandise in multiple interest-free monthly installments. When the installment payment option is offered by QVC U.S. and QVC International and elected by the customer (or if the customer inadvertently purchases merchandise using the installment payment option because it was the default payment option), the first installment is typically billed to the customer’s credit or debit card upon shipment. Generally, the customer’s credit or debit card is subsequently billed in additional monthly installments until the total purchase price of the products has been billed. QVC U.S. and QVC International cannot predict whether customers will pay their installments when due or at all, regardless of whether the customer would have preferred to pay in one lump-sum but did not opt out of the installment payment option. Accordingly, QVC maintains an allowance for customer bad debts arising from these late and unpaid installments. This provision for customer bad debts is provided as a percentage of accounts receivable based on QVC’s historical experience in the period of sale and is included within selling, general and administrative expense (“SG&A”). To the extent that customers elect installment payment options at greater rates, or to the extent the number of customers failing to opt out of the default installment payment option increases, QVC would be required to maintain a greater allowance for customer bad debt and to the extent that installment payment option losses exceed historical levels, our and QVC’s results of operations may be negatively impacted.
Most major retailers either directly or through third parties offer some form of Buy Now Pay Later (“BNPL”) financing arrangements that typically charge interest or late fees. Recently, a number of jurisdictions in Europe and the U.S. have indicated that these BNPL financing arrangements could be subject to increased regulation to ensure compliance with various consumer protection laws and regulations. Although we do not charge interest or impose late fees as part of our installment payment options, changes to existing laws and regulations or their interpretation, or the adoption of new laws or regulations could require mandatory changes to our installment payment options. Implementing these changes may increase our costs to maintain our installment payment options and may make our installment payment options less desirable to our customers which could lead to a decline in sales; additionally, failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in the imposition of fines and penalties, any of which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
In addition, QxH has agreements with a large consumer financial institution (the “Bank”) pursuant to which the Bank provides revolving credit directly to U.S. customers for the sole purpose of purchasing merchandise from QVC with a private label credit card (for QVC U.S. the “Q Card” and for HSN the “HSN Credit Card”). We cannot predict the extent to which QVC’s customers will use the Q Card or the HSN Credit Card, nor the extent that they will make payments on their outstanding balances, especially during period of high economic uncertainty or in response to inflationary pressures. As QVC receives a portion of the net economics from the credit card program, the ability of customers to make payments on their outstanding balances due to circumstances related to economic uncertainty or inflationary pressures could result in reduced private label credit card income to QxH from the Bank. Additionally, proposed regulations limiting late fees on credit card payments could also result in reduced private label credit card income to QxH from the Bank.
Certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates may fail to adequately protect their intellectual property rights or may be accused of infringing intellectual property rights of third parties. Our subsidiaries and business affiliates regard their respective intellectual property rights, including service marks, trademarks, patents and domain names, copyrights (including their programming and their websites), trade secrets and similar intellectual property, as critical to their success. These businesses also rely heavily upon software codes, informational databases and other components that make up their products and services. From time to time, these businesses are subject to legal proceedings and claims in the ordinary course of business, including claims of alleged infringement of the tradenames, patents, copyrights and other intellectual property rights of third parties. In addition, litigation may be necessary to enforce the intellectual property rights of these businesses, protect trade secrets or to determine the validity and scope of proprietary rights claimed by others. Any litigation of this nature, regardless of outcome or merit, could result in substantial costs and diversion of management and technical resources, any of which could adversely affect the business, financial condition and results of operations of these businesses and in turn our financial condition and results of operations. The failure of these businesses to protect their intellectual property rights, particularly their proprietary brands, in a meaningful manner or third party challenges to related contractual rights could result in erosion of brand names and limit the ability of these businesses to
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control marketing on or through the Internet using their various domain names, which could adversely affect the business, financial condition and results of operations of these businesses, as well as the financial condition and results of operations of our Company.
Natural disasters, political crises, and other catastrophic events or other events outside of our control, including climate change, may damage our facilities or the facilities of third parties on which we depend, adversely affect our ability to operate our businesses and have broader effects. Our businesses operate regional headquarters and administrative offices, distribution centers and contact centers worldwide. If any of these facilities or the facilities of our businesses’ vendors or third-party service providers are affected by natural disasters (such as fires, earthquakes, tsunamis, power shortages or outages, floods or monsoons), public health crises (such as pandemics and epidemics), political crises (such as terrorism, war, political instability, insurrections or other conflict), or other events outside of our businesses’ control, our businesses, financial condition and results of operations could be materially adversely affected. For example, on December 18, 2021, QVC experienced a fire at its Rocky Mount, Inc. fulfillment center in North Carolina, during which one contractor lost his life. Rocky Mount was QVC’s second-largest fulfillment center processing 25% to 30% of volume for QVC U.S. and also served as QVC U.S.’s primary returns center for hard goods. QVC sold the Rocky Mount facility in 2023 and as a result, is making investments to expand capacity and increase throughput. Inbound deliveries and customer returns that were previously sent to the Rocky Mount facility are now routed through other distribution facilities within QVC’s distribution network and to third-party logistic service providers.
Climate change may also have indirect effects on our businesses by increasing the cost of, or making unavailable, property insurance on terms we find acceptable. To the extent that significant changes in the climate occur in areas where our properties are located, we may experience more frequent extreme weather events, which may result in physical damage to our or our third parties’ facilities and may adversely affect our businesses, results of operations and financial condition.
In addition, any of these events occurring at our or our businesses’ vendors’ facilities also could impact its businesses’ reputations and their customers’ perception of the products they sell, and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Moreover, these types of events could have broader effects causing macro-level issues in the areas where its businesses operate. For example these types of events could negatively impact consumer spending in the impacted regions or depending upon the severity, globally, which could adversely impact its business, financial condition and results of operations.
Increases in labor costs could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations Labor is a significant portion of our cost structure and is subject to many external factors, including unemployment levels, prevailing wage rates, minimum wage laws, exempt status salary statutory thresholds, potential collective bargaining arrangements, general inflationary pressures, health and other insurance costs and changes in employment and labor legislation or other workplace regulation. From time to time, legislative proposals are made to increase federal, state and local minimum wage rates, to limit exemptions from federal and state minimum wage laws for white collar jobs, and to create or extend benefit programs, such as health insurance and paid sick and other leave programs. As minimum wage rates increase or related laws and regulations change, or as labor market demand increases, we may need to increase the wages paid to our hourly or salaried employees. Any increase in the cost of our labor could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations or, if we fail to pay such higher wages we could suffer increased employee turnover. In addition, increases in labor costs could force us to increase prices, which could adversely impact our sales. If competitive pressures or other factors prevent us from offsetting increased labor costs by increases in prices, our profits may decline and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Additionally, any increase in the cost of labor for our third party carriers and suppliers could increase our cost of shipping and materials, which may adversely affect our ability to increase or maintain our revenue.
The COVID-19 pandemic negatively impacted our business, and future pandemics or epidemics may negatively impact, our business, key financial and operating metrics, and results of operations in numerous ways. The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant disruption to the global economy and negatively impacted us and our operations. For example, as a result of COVID-19, many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers were required to temporarily close their stores while distance retailers, such as QVC, were able to continue operating. As a result, QVC initially experienced an increase in new customers and an increase in demand for certain categories, such as home and electronics. However, as
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traditional brick-and-mortar retailers were allowed to reopen their stores and consumers were able to resume pre-pandemic shopping habits, QVC observed a decline in customers and a decline in demand for its products. Additionally, QVC experienced delays in receiving merchandise at certain fulfillment centers and had to limit the number of products it was able to promote on air. COVID-19 also had an adverse impact on QVC’s supply chain due to factory closures, shipping and trucking delays and labor shortages, resulting in delays and other resource constraints related to both imported and domestically produced products. As a result, QVC’s manufacturers and vendors were unable to produce and deliver the products it sells, either on a timely basis or at all and a number of QVC’s manufacturers and vendors experienced financial issues as a result of these constraints.
Further, QVC experienced increased product shortages due to high market demand in some product categories such as home and electronics. In addition, as a result of COVID-19 QVC experienced material negative impacts to its financial results, including its capital and liquidity, decreases in the disposable income of existing and potential new customers, heightened inflation, increased currency volatility resulting in adverse currency rate fluctuations and higher interest rates.
It is unclear whether and to what extent a future pandemic or epidemic, including future COVID-19 outbreaks or concerns, could impact QVC’s financial condition and results of operations. If QVC’s manufacturers and vendors are unable to meet QVC’s supply needs in a timely manner, or at all, QVC may be required to shift product promotion to items which are available, but possibly not in demand, which could have a negative impact on sales.
Future delays by manufacturers and vendors could result in delays to delivery dates to QVC’s customers, which could result in the cancellation of orders, customers’ refusal to accept deliveries, a reduction in purchase prices and ultimately, termination of customer relationships. QVC cannot be certain that it will be able to identify alternative sources for its products without delay or without greater cost to QVC.
Additionally, a future pandemic or epidemic, including a resurgence of COVID-19, may adversely impact QVC’s ability to comply with various legal and contractual obligations and may expose it to increased litigation, including labor and employment claims, breach of contract claims and consumer claims by its customers. QVC’s insurance coverage may not be applicable to, or sufficient to cover, all claims, costs, and damages it may incur as a result of COVID-19, or future pandemic or epidemic, which would result in QVC bearing such costs and could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.
There can be no assurance that the long-term effects of COVID-19, or the future occurrence of a pandemic or epidemic, will not result in recession in the U.S and other major global economies and QVC anticipates its businesses and operations would be materially adversely affected by a prolonged recession in the U.S. and other major markets.
Impairment of our goodwill or other intangible assets could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. From time to time we review the recoverability of goodwill and other certain identifiable intangible assets, including whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying value of a reporting unit, including goodwill or an identifiable intangible asset, may not be recoverable. We may incur impairment charges on goodwill or identifiable intangible assets if we determine that the fair values of a reporting unit, including goodwill or identifiable intangible assets, are less than their current carrying values. We evaluate, on a regular basis, whether events or circumstances have occurred that indicate all, or a portion, of the carrying amount of goodwill may no longer be recoverable, in which case an impairment charge to earnings would become necessary.
For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company identified an impairment for the QxH reporting unit related to goodwill. As previously reported, for the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company identified significant impairments for the QxH reporting unit related to the HSN tradename and goodwill.
Recent business trends and global economic conditions may continue to make it a challenge for our reporting units to be able to realize their current long-term forecast. The Company will continue to monitor its reporting units’ current business performance versus the current and updated long-term forecasts, among other relevant considerations, to determine if the carrying value of its assets (including goodwill and trademarks) is appropriate. Future outlook declines in revenue, cash flows, or other factors could result in a further decrease in fair value that may result in a determination that carrying value adjustments are required, which could be material, and we could be required to record additional impairment
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charges on our goodwill or other identifiable intangible assets in the future, which could result in reductions to stockholders’ equity and material non-cash charges to our earnings and may negatively impact our stock price and financial condition.
Use of social media and influencers may materially and adversely affect our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties. Our businesses use third-party social media platforms as, among other things, marketing tools. Many of our businesses’ products are endorsed by celebrities, designers and other well-known personalities, and in the case of QVC, often join QVC’s presenters on its live programming and provide lead-in publicity on their own social media pages, websites and other customer touchpoints. As existing e-commerce and social media platforms continue to rapidly evolve and new platforms develop, our businesses must continue to maintain a presence on these platforms and establish presences on new or emerging popular social media platforms. If our businesses are unable to cost-effectively use social media platforms as marketing tools or if the social media platforms our businesses use change their policies or algorithms, our businesses may not be able to fully optimize such platforms, and our businesses ability to maintain and acquire customers and our financial condition may suffer.
Furthermore, as laws and regulations and public opinion rapidly evolve to govern the use of these platforms and devices, the failure by our businesses, their employees, or their network of celebrities, designers and other well-known personalities to abide by applicable laws and regulations in the use of these platforms and devices or otherwise could subject us to regulatory investigations, litigation, liability, fines or other penalties and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results.
In addition, an increase in the use of social media for product promotion and marketing may cause an increase in the burden on us and our businesses to monitor compliance of such materials, and increase the risk that such materials could contain problematic product or marketing claims in violation of applicable regulations. For example, in some cases, the FTC has sought enforcement action where an endorsement has failed to clearly and conspicuously disclose a financial relationship or material connection between an influencer and an advertiser.
Although our businesses require their influencers to agree to comply with their terms and conditions, as well as applicable laws, regulations, guidelines, and other requirements applicable to the activities of our influencers, our businesses do not specifically prescribe what their influencers post. In some cases, we may ask an influencer to edit or remove unsubstantiated claims or statements that could be misleading to our consumers. However, if we were held responsible for the content of their posts or their actions, we could be fined or forced to alter our practices, which could have an adverse impact on our business.
Negative commentary regarding our businesses, their products or influencers and other third parties who are affiliated with us may also be posted on social media platforms and may be adverse to our and our businesses’ reputations or business. Influencers with whom our businesses maintain relationships could engage in behavior or use their platforms to communicate directly with customers in a manner that reflects poorly on our brands and may be attributed to us or otherwise adversely affect us and our businesses. It is not possible to prevent such behavior, and the precautions we take to detect this activity may not be effective in all cases. Our target consumers often value readily available information and often act on such information without further investigation and without regard to its accuracy. The harm may be immediate, without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction.
Risks Related to Technology and Information Security
Rapid technological advances could render the products and services offered by our subsidiaries and our business affiliates obsolete or non-competitive. Our subsidiaries and business affiliates must stay abreast of rapidly evolving technological developments and offerings to remain competitive and increase the utility of their products and services. As their operations grow in size and scope, our subsidiaries and business affiliates must continuously improve and upgrade their systems and infrastructure while maintaining or improving the reliability and integrity of their systems and infrastructure. These subsidiaries and business affiliates must be able to incorporate new technologies into their products and services in order to address the needs of their customers. The emergence of alternative platforms such as mobile and tablet computing devices and the emergence of niche competitors who may be able to optimize products, services or strategies for such platforms will require new investment in technology. New developments in other areas, such as cloud
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computing, could also make it easier for competition to enter their markets due to lower up-front technology costs. There can be no assurance that our subsidiaries and business affiliates will be able to compete with advancing technology or be able to maintain existing systems or replace or introduce new technologies and systems as quickly as they would like or in a cost-effective manner, and any failure to do so could result in customers seeking alternative products or service providers, thereby adversely impacting our revenue and operating income.
Our e-commerce businesses could be negatively affected by changes in third-party digital platform algorithms and dynamics as well as their inability to monetize the resulting web traffic. The success of our online commerce businesses and our online marketing efforts depends on a high degree of website traffic, which is dependent on many factors, including the availability of appealing website content, user loyalty and new user generation from various digital marketing channels that charge a fee. Third-party digital platforms, such as Google and Facebook, frequently update and change the logic that determines the placement and display of results of a user’s search, or advertiser content, such that the purchased or algorithmic placement of advertisements or links to the websites of our online commerce businesses can be negatively affected. If a major search engine or third-party digital platform changes its algorithms in a manner that negatively affects their paid advertisement distribution or unpaid search ranking, the business and financial performance of our online commerce businesses would be adversely affected, potentially to a material extent. Additionally, Mobile application distribution platforms, such as Apple’s App Store and the Amazon Appstore for Android, may require that third party digital platforms and e-commerce companies present users with an option where the user chooses to opt-in or opt-out of tracking technology used by these third party digital platforms or included in mobile applications. To the extent that users opt-out of tracking technology used by third party digital platforms on which our online commerce businesses advertise or users of our online commerce businesses’ applications opt-out of tracking technology included in our online commerce businesses’ applications, the ability to monitor and improve customer experience and track the effectiveness of our online commerce businesses’ digital marketing strategies would be adversely impacted. Furthermore, the failure of our online commerce businesses to successfully manage their digital marketing strategies could result in a substantial decrease in traffic to their websites, as well as increased costs if they were to replace free traffic with paid traffic. Even if our online commerce businesses are successful in generating a high level of website traffic, no assurance can be given that our online commerce businesses will be successful in achieving repeat user loyalty or that new visitors will explore the offerings on their sites. Monetizing this traffic by converting users to consumers is dependent on many factors, including availability of inventory, consumer preferences, price, ease of use and website quality. Globally, the cost of digital marketing has increased significantly, and no assurance can be given that the fees our businesses pay to third-party digital platforms will not exceed the revenue generated by their visitors. The increasing costs of digital marketing may require that we find more cost-effective ways of reaching and retaining consumers, which may not be as effective as the current methods of digital marketing. Any failure to sustain user traffic or to monetize such traffic could materially adversely affect the financial performance of our online commerce businesses and, as a result, adversely affect our financial results.
System interruption and the lack of integration and redundancy in the systems and infrastructures of our subsidiary QVC and our other online commerce and catalog businesses may adversely affect their ability to, as applicable, operate their businesses, transmit their television programs, operate websites, process and fulfill transactions, respond to customer inquiries and generally maintain cost-efficient operations. The success of our subsidiaries and business affiliates depends, in part, on their ability to maintain the integrity of their transmissions, systems and infrastructures, including the transmission of television programs (in the case of QVC), as well as their websites, information and related systems, contact centers and fulfillment facilities. These subsidiaries and business affiliates may experience occasional system interruptions that make some or all transmissions, systems or data unavailable or prevent them from transmitting their signals or efficiently providing services or fulfilling orders, as the case may be. QVC relies on legacy systems that are often difficult to update and maintain. As a result, QVC maintains an ongoing process of implementing new technology systems and upgrading others. The failure to properly implement new systems, delays in implementing new systems or failing to integrate new systems with our legacy systems could impair the ability of our subsidiaries and business affiliates to provide services and content, fulfill orders and/or process transactions. Each of QVC and CBI also rely on affiliate and third-party computer systems, broadband, transmission and other communications systems and service providers in connection with the transmission of its respective signals, as well as to facilitate, process and fulfill transactions. Any interruptions, outages or delays in its signal transmissions, systems and infrastructures, or any deterioration in the performance of these transmissions, systems and infrastructures, could impair its ability to provide services, fulfill orders and/or process transactions. Fire, flood, power loss, telecommunications failure, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, public health crises (such as pandemics and epidemics) acts of war or terrorism, acts of God and
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similar events or disruptions may damage or interrupt television transmissions, computer, broadband or other communications systems and infrastructures at any time. Any of these events could cause transmission or system interruption, delays and loss of critical data, and could prevent our subsidiaries and business affiliates from providing services, fulfilling orders and/or processing transactions. While our subsidiaries and business affiliates have backup systems for certain aspects of their operations, these systems are not fully redundant and disaster recovery planning is not sufficient for all possible risks. In addition, some of our subsidiaries and business affiliates may not have adequate insurance coverage to compensate for losses from a major interruption.
The processing, storage, sharing, use, disclosure and protection of personal data could give rise to liabilities as a result of governmental regulation, conflicting legal requirements or differing views of personal privacy rights. In the processing of consumer transactions and managing their employees, our businesses receive, transmit and store a large volume of personally identifiable information and other user data. The processing, storage, sharing, use, disclosure and protection of this information are governed by the privacy and data security policies maintained by these businesses. Moreover, there are federal, state and international laws regarding privacy and the processing, storage, sharing, use, disclosure and protection of personally identifiable information and user data. Specifically, personally identifiable information is increasingly subject to changing legislation and regulations, in numerous jurisdictions around the world, which are intended to protect the privacy and provide consumers more control of personal information that is collected, processed and transmitted in or from the governing jurisdiction. Compliance with these laws and regulations may be onerous and expensive and may be inconsistent from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, further increasing the cost of compliance. For example, the European Court of Justice in 2015 invalidated the U.S.-E.U. Safe Harbor Framework, which facilitated personal data transfers to the U.S. in compliance with applicable European data protection laws. The E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield, which replaced the U.S.-E.U. Safe Harbor Framework, and became fully operational in 2016, provided a mechanism to comply with data protection requirements when transferring personal data from the E.U. to the U.S. On July 16, 2020, the Court of Justice of the European Union invalidated the E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield, and imposed new obligations on the use of standard contractual clauses (“SCCs”) - another key mechanism to allow data transfers between the U.S. and the E.U.
The European Commission adopted revised SCCs on June 4, 2021. In March 2022, the U.S. and the European Commission announced a new Transatlantic Data Privacy Framework (“DPF”) to replace the E.U.-U.S. Privacy Shield. On December 13, 2022, the European Commission issued an adequacy decision initiating the formal adoption process for the DPF and the E.U. formally adopted the adequacy decision on July 10, 2023. The U.S. and the E.U. implemented the DPF in July 2023. Further, the General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), which became effective on May 25, 2018, gives consumers in the E.U. additional rights and imposes additional restrictions and penalties on companies for illegal collection and misuse of personal information. E.U. government entities and regulatory authorities continue to pursue additional regulation of “cookies” and other Internet tracking tools but the timing of enactment of the final regulations is uncertain.
Following the "Brexit" withdrawal of the U.K. from the E.U., on June 28, 2021, the European Commission determined that the U.K.’s data protection laws essentially are equivalent to data protection laws in the European Economic Area. As a result, personal data transfers from the E.U. to the U.K. may continue without a new data transfer framework. California has enacted the CCPA, which, among other things, allows California consumers to request that certain companies disclose the types of personal information collected by such companies. The CCPA became effective on January 1, 2020. The California Attorney General has issued draft implementing regulations and guidance regarding the law. In November 2020, California voters approved the CPRA, which amends and expands the CCPA and establishes the California Privacy Protection Agency to implement and enforce consumer privacy laws. Most of the CPRA’s provisions became effective on January 1, 2023. A growing number of states have enacted privacy laws in recent years. In 2023, Delaware, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Montana, Oregon, Tennessee and Texas enacted such laws. In addition to California, Colorado, Virginia, Utah and Connecticut previously had enacted comprehensive privacy legislation. In addition to broad consumer privacy laws, states are enacting and may continue to enact sectoral-specific privacy laws focused on health data, data about people under the age of 18, biometric data, the use of algorithms by organizations, and other matters. Private litigants are also using federal and state laws to pursue litigation related to the use of personal data, video content, chat tools and other communication tools, and trackers commonly used by organizations in the operation of consumer-facing websites and applications. QVC’s and CBI’s failure, and/or the failure by the various third party vendors and service providers with which QVC and CBI do business, to comply with applicable privacy policies or federal, state or similar
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international laws and regulations, or changes in applicable laws and regulations, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release of personally identifiable information or other user data could damage QVC’s and CBI’s reputations and the reputation of their third party vendors and service providers, discourage potential users from trying their products and services and/or result in fines and/or proceedings by governmental agencies and/or consumers, any one or all of which could adversely affect QVC’s and CBI’s business, financial condition and results of operations and, as a result, our Company. In addition, we, our subsidiaries or our business affiliates may not have adequate insurance coverage to compensate for losses.
Our businesses may experience difficulty in the ongoing development, implementation and customer acceptance of applications for personal electronic devices, which could harm their business. Although our online commerce businesses have developed services and applications to address user and consumer interaction with website content on personal electronic devices, such as smartphones and tablets, the ways in which consumers use or rely on these personal electronic devices is continually changing. If the services or applications we develop in response to changes in consumer behavior are defective, unstable or viewed as ineffective by consumers, our online commerce businesses may experience difficulty attracting and retaining traffic and, in turn, advertisers, on these platforms. Any failure to attract and retain traffic on these personal electronic devices could materially adversely affect the financial performance of our online commerce businesses and, as a result, adversely affect our financial results. Additionally, as new devices and new platforms are continually being released, it is difficult to predict the challenges that may be encountered in developing versions of our online commerce businesses’ offerings for use on these alternative devices, and our online commerce businesses may need to devote significant resources to the creation, support, and maintenance of their services on such devices. To the extent that revenue generated from advertising placed on smartphone computing devices becomes increasingly more important to their businesses and they fail to adequately evolve and address this market, their business and financial performance could be negatively impacted.
Our businesses and information systems are subject to cybersecurity risks, including cybersecurity threats and cybersecurity incidents. Through their operations, sales, marketing activities, and use of third-party information, our businesses collect and store certain non-public personal information that customers provide to purchase products, enroll in promotional programs, register on websites, or otherwise communicate with them. This may include demographic information, phone numbers, driver license numbers, contact preferences, personal information stored on electronic devices, and payment information, including credit and debit card data. Our businesses also gather and retain information about employees and job applications in the normal course of business. Our businesses may share information about such persons with vendors, contractors and other third-parties that assist with certain aspects of their business. In addition, our businesses’ online operations depend upon the transmission of confidential information over the Internet, such as information permitting cashless payments. Like many e-commerce companies, we frequently encounter unauthorized parties attempting to gain access to our businesses’ or our businesses’ vendors’ information systems by, among other things, hacking those systems, through fraud or other means of deceiving our businesses’ employees, partners or vendors, or burglaries. We also face cybersecurity risks from errors by our or our vendors’ employees, misappropriation of data by employees, vendors or unaffiliated third-parties, or other irregularities that may result in disruption of services or persons obtaining unauthorized access to our businesses’ data. Additionally, as a result of the increased number of employees working remotely, our businesses, businesses’ vendors or our businesses’ partners working remotely increases our vulnerability to cybersecurity incidents and attacks. The techniques used to gain access to our businesses’ or our businesses’ vendors’ information systems, our businesses’ data or customers’ data, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems are constantly evolving, including from emerging technologies such as advanced forms of artificial intelligence. These techniques may be difficult to detect quickly, and often are not recognized until launched against a target. Increasingly, unauthorized parties are exploiting access they gain to third party vendors to target companies that do business with these vendors, which may include third party vendors with whom we do business. Our businesses have implemented measures and processes intended to secure their information systems and prevent disruptions in services or unauthorized access to or loss of sensitive data, but as with all companies, these security measures may not be sufficient for all eventualities and there is no guarantee that they will be adequate to safeguard against all cybersecurity threats or cybersecurity incidents, information system compromises or misuses of data. Although we have not detected a material security breach or other cybersecurity incident to date, we have been the target of events of this nature and expect to be subject to similar attacks in the future. Any disruptions of our information systems or misappropriation or misuse of customer, employee or other personal information, whether at our businesses’ or any of our businesses’ vendors, could cause interruptions in the operations of our businesses and subject them to increased costs, fines, litigation, regulatory
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actions and other liabilities. Security breaches and other cybersecurity incidents could also significantly damage their reputation with their customers and third parties with whom they do business, which could result in lost sales and customer and vendor attrition. Our businesses continue to invest in new and emerging technology and other solutions to protect their retail commerce websites, mobile commerce applications and information systems, but there can be no assurance that these investments and solutions will prevent any of the risks described above. If our businesses are unable to maintain the security of their retail commerce websites and mobile commerce applications, they could suffer loss of sales, reductions in traffic, damage to our reputation, loss of consumer confidence, diversion of management attention, and deterioration of their competitive position and incur liability for any damage to customers whose personal information is accessed without authorization or claims, investigations, penalties and fines imposed by governmental regulators. Our businesses may be required to expend significant additional capital and other resources to protect against and remedy any potential or existing security breaches and their consequences, such as additional infrastructure capacity spending to mitigate any system degradation and the reallocation of resources from development activities. Our businesses also face similar risks associated with security breaches and other cybersecurity incidents affecting third parties with which they are affiliated or otherwise conduct business. The loss of confidence in and damage to the reputation of our online commerce businesses resulting from any such cybersecurity incidents, such as security breaches or identity theft, could adversely affect the business, financial condition and results of operations of our online commerce businesses and, as a result, our Company.
Risks Related to Our Businesses’ Facilities and Third Party Suppliers and Vendors
Our programming and online commerce businesses rely on distribution facilities to operate their business, and any damage to one of these facilities, or any disruptions caused by incorporating new facilities into their operations, could have a material adverse impact on their business. Our programming and online commerce businesses operate a limited number of distribution facilities worldwide. Their ability to meet the needs of their customers depends on the proper operation of these distribution facilities. If any of these distribution facilities were to shut down or otherwise become inoperable or inaccessible for any reason, these businesses could suffer a substantial loss of inventory and disruptions of deliveries to their customers. For example, any future pandemic or epidemic, in the areas where these distribution facilities are located, or if these businesses are unable to adequately staff the distribution facilities to meet demand in the future, or if the cost of such staffing is higher than historical or projected costs due to wage increases, labor shortages, regulatory changes, or other factors, could harm our operating results. In addition, they could incur significantly higher costs and longer lead times associated with the distribution of their products during the time it takes to reopen or replace the impacted facility. Any of the foregoing factors could result in decreased sales and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and operating results. In addition, these businesses have been implementing new warehouse management systems to further support their efforts to operate with increased efficiency and flexibility. There are risks inherent in operating in new distribution environments and implementing new warehouse management systems, including operational difficulties that may arise with such transitions. Our businesses may experience shipping delays should there be any disruptions in their new warehouse management systems or warehouses themselves.
In December 2021, QVC’s distribution facility located in Rocky Mount, North Carolina suffered significant fire damage. Rocky Mount was QVC’s second largest distribution facility and processed most of its returned merchandise. In February 2023, QVC sold the Rocky Mount facility to a third party. Order fulfilment, inbound deliveries and customer returns that were previously handled at the Rocky Mount facility are now routed through other distribution facilities within QVC’s distribution network and third party logistic service providers. Additional disruptions or delays as a result of shifting capacity or failing to maintain arrangements with its third party logistic service providers could cause disruptions to QVC’s order fulfillment process, causing delays in delivering product to customers which would result in lost sales, strain its relationships with customers, and cause harm to its reputation, any of which could have a material adverse impact on its business, financial condition and operating results. QVC maintains property, general liability, and business interruption insurance coverage. In June 2023, QVC agreed to a final insurance settlement with its insurance company and received all remaining proceeds related to the Rocky Mount claim, which resulted in cumulative insurance proceeds of $660 million from its insurance provider.
Our home television and online commerce businesses rely on independent shipping companies to deliver the products they sell. Our home television and online commerce businesses rely on third party carriers to deliver merchandise from vendors and manufacturers to them and to ship merchandise to their customers. As a result, they are subject to carrier disruptions and delays due to factors that are beyond their control, including employee strikes, labor shortages, inclement
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weather and regulation and enforcement actions by customs agencies. For example, as a result of COVID-19 many consumers significantly increased their use of e-commerce which resulted in a significant increase in the volume of packages handled by third-party carriers, including those our businesses rely on, which result in delayed merchandise and cause our businesses’ customers to experience delays in their order delivery. Any failure to deliver products to their customers in a timely and accurate manner may damage their reputation and brand and could cause them to lose customers. Enforcement actions by customs agencies can also cause the costs of imported goods to increase, negatively affecting profits. These businesses are also impacted by increases in shipping rates charged by third party carriers, which over the past few years have increased significantly in comparison to historical levels, and it is currently expected that shipping and postal rates will continue to increase. In the case of deliveries to customers, in each market where they operate, they have negotiated agreements with one or more independent, third party shipping companies, which in certain circumstances provide for favorable shipping rates. If any of these relationships were to terminate or if a shipping company were unable to fulfill its obligations under its contract for any reason, these businesses would have to work with other shipping companies to deliver merchandise to customers, which would most likely be at less favorable rates. Other potential adverse consequences of changing carriers include delays in order processing and product delivery, and reduced shipment quality, which may result in damaged products and customer dissatisfaction. Additionally, as a result of recent acts of violence against commercial container ships in the Red Sea, QVC’s carriers have experienced longer shipping times and increased freight costs. Although these disruptions have not yet had a material impact on QVC’s business, its carriers may experience further delays or rescheduled deliveries or further increases in freight costs, which would adversely impact its business. Any increase in shipping rates and related fuel and other surcharges passed on to these businesses by their current carriers or any other shipping company would adversely impact profits, given that these businesses may not be able to pass these increased costs directly to customers or offset them by increasing prices without a detrimental effect on customer demand.
Our programming and online commerce businesses depend on their relationships with third party suppliers and vendors and any adverse changes in these relationships could adversely affect our results of operations. An important component of the success of our programming and online commerce businesses is their ability to maintain their existing, as well as build new, relationships with a limited number of local and foreign suppliers, manufacturers and vendors, among other parties. There can be no assurance that our subsidiaries and business affiliates will be able to maintain their existing supplier or vendor arrangements on commercially reasonable terms or at all or, with respect to goods sourced from foreign markets, if the supply costs will remain stable. In addition, our subsidiaries and business affiliates cannot guarantee that goods produced and delivered by third parties will meet applicable quality standards, which is impacted by a number of factors, some of which are not within the control of these parties. Adverse changes in existing relationships or the inability to enter into new arrangements with these parties on favorable terms, if at all, could result in lost sales or cause a failure to meet customer expectations and timely delivery of products, which could in turn have a significant adverse effect on our results of operations.
The unanticipated loss of certain larger vendors or the consolidation of our programming and online commerce businesses’ vendors could negatively impact their sales and profitability on a short term basis. It is possible that one or more of the larger vendors for our programming and online commerce businesses could experience financial difficulties, including bankruptcy, or otherwise could elect to cease doing business with our businesses. While these businesses have periodically experienced the loss of a major vendor, if multiple major vendors ceased doing business with these businesses, or did not perform consistently with past practice, this could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and operating results. Further, there has been a trend among these vendors towards consolidation in recent years that may continue. This consolidation could exacerbate the foregoing risks and increase these vendors’ bargaining power and their ability to demand terms that are less favorable to our businesses.
Risks Related to the Seasonality of Our Business
Certain of our businesses face significant inventory risk. Certain of our businesses are exposed to significant inventory risks that may adversely affect their operating results as a result of seasonality, new product launches, rapid changes in product cycles and pricing, defective merchandise, changes in consumer demand, consumer spending patterns, changes in consumer tastes with respect to their products, spoilage, and other factors. These businesses endeavor to accurately predict these trends and avoid overstocking or understocking products they sell. Demand for products, however, can change significantly between the time inventory or components are ordered and the date of sale. In addition, when these businesses begin selling a new product, it may be difficult to establish vendor relationships, determine appropriate
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product or component selection, and accurately forecast demand. The acquisition of certain types of inventory or components may require significant lead-time and prepayment and they may not be returnable. These businesses carry a broad selection and significant inventory levels of certain products, such as consumer electronics, and at times they may be unable to sell products in sufficient quantities or to meet demand during the relevant selling seasons. Any one of the inventory risk factors set forth above may adversely affect their operating results.
The seasonality of certain of our businesses places increased strain on their operations. The net revenue of our home television and online commerce businesses in recent years indicates that these businesses are seasonal due to a higher volume of sales in certain months or calendar quarters or related to particular holiday shopping. For example, in recent years, QVC has earned, on average, between 22% and 24% of its global revenue in each of the first three quarters of the year and approximately 30% in the fourth quarter of the year. Similarly, our subsidiary CBI experiences higher sales volume during the second and fourth quarters of the year. If the vendors for these businesses are not able to provide popular products in sufficient amounts (for example, due to the loss of inventory, illness or absenteeism of our businesses’ or our businesses’ vendors’ workforces, impaired financial conditions, public health crises (such as pandemics and epidemics) or other reasons) such that these businesses fail to meet customer demand, it could significantly affect their revenue and future growth. If too many customers access the websites of these businesses within a short period of time due to increased demand, our businesses may experience system interruptions that make their websites unavailable or prevent them from efficiently fulfilling orders, which may reduce the volume of goods they offer or sell and the attractiveness of their products and services. In addition, they may be unable to adequately staff their fulfillment networks and customer service centers during these peak periods and delivery and other third party shipping (or carrier) companies may be unable to meet the seasonal demand. Risks described elsewhere in this Part I, Item 1A relating to fulfillment network optimization and inventory are magnified during periods of high demand. To the extent these businesses pay for holiday merchandise in advance of certain holidays (e.g., in the case of QVC, in August through November of each year), their available cash may decrease, resulting in less liquidity. QVC has limited availability under its revolving credit facility (as discussed in note 6 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements) (the “Credit Facility”) and may not be able to access financing to the extent its cash balance is impaired. QVC may be unable to maintain a level of cash sufficient to permit it to pay the principal, premium, if any, and interest on its indebtedness.
Risks Related to Management and Key Personnel
The success of our home television and online commerce businesses depends in large part on their ability to recruit and retain key personnel capable of executing their unique business models. Our home television and online commerce subsidiaries and business affiliates have business models that require them to recruit and retain key employees, including management, with the skills necessary for a unique business that demands knowledge of the general retail industry, television production, direct to consumer marketing and fulfillment and the Internet. We cannot assure you that if these subsidiaries and business affiliates experience turnover of these key employees they will be able to recruit and retain acceptable replacements because the market for such employees is very competitive and limited. Additionally, although our home television and online commerce subsidiaries are working to provide an effective and engaging workplace, with more employees working remotely, it is increasingly challenging to keep employee engagement and productivity high.
We have overlapping directors and officers with LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband, and ABH, which may lead to conflicting interests. As a result of certain transactions that occurred between 2011 and 2023 that resulted in the separate corporate existence of our Company, LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband and ABH, most of the executive officers of Qurate Retail also serve as executive officers of LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband and ABH and there are overlapping directors. None of LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband or ABH has any ownership interest in any of the others. Our executive officers and the members of our Company’s board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) have fiduciary duties to our stockholders. Likewise, any such persons who serve in similar capacities at LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband or ABH or any other public company have fiduciary duties to that company’s stockholders. Therefore, such persons may have conflicts of interest or the appearance of conflicts of interest with respect to matters involving or affecting more than one of the companies to which they owe fiduciary duties. For example, there may be the potential for a conflict of interest when our Company, LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband, or ABH looks at acquisitions and other corporate opportunities that may be suitable for each of them. Moreover, most of our Company's directors and officers own LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband and/or
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ABH stock and equity awards. These ownership interests could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest when the applicable individuals are faced with decisions that could have different implications for our Company, LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband and/or ABH. Any potential conflict that qualifies as a "related party transaction" (as defined in Item 404 of Regulation S-K under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended) is subject to review by an independent committee of the applicable issuer's Board of Directors in accordance with its corporate governance guidelines. Each of Liberty Broadband, TripAdvisor Holdings and ABH has renounced its rights to certain business opportunities and their respective restated certificate of incorporation contains provisions deeming directors and officers not in breach of their fiduciary duties in certain cases for directing a corporate opportunity to another person or entity (including LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband and ABH, as the case may be) instead of the respective company. Any other potential conflicts that arise will be addressed on a case-by-case basis, keeping in mind the applicable fiduciary duties owed by the executive officers and directors of each issuer. From time to time, we may enter into transactions with LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband, ABH and/or their subsidiaries or other affiliates. There can be no assurance that the terms of any such transactions will be as favorable to our Company, LMC, TripAdvisor Holdings, Liberty Broadband or ABH or any of their respective subsidiaries or affiliates as would be the case where there is no overlapping officer or director.
Risks Related to Economic Conditions
Certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates have operations outside of the U.S. that are subject to numerous operational and financial risks. Certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates have operations in countries other than the U.S. that are subject to the following risks inherent in international operations:
● fluctuations in currency exchange rates;
● longer payment cycles for sales in foreign countries that may increase the uncertainty associated with recoverable accounts;
● recessionary conditions and economic instability, including fiscal policies that are implementing austerity measures in certain countries, which are affecting overseas markets;
● inflationary pressures, such as those the market is currently experiencing, which may increase the costs of the products our businesses sell, as well as the shipping and delivery of these products;
● limited ability to repatriate funds to the U.S. at favorable tax rates;
● potentially adverse tax consequences;
● export and import restrictions, changes in tariffs, trade policies and trade relations;
● disruptions to international shipping and supply chains;
● increases in taxes and governmental royalties and fees;
● the ability to obtain and maintain required licenses or certifications, such as for web services and electronic devices, that enable us to operate our businesses in foreign jurisdictions;
● changes in foreign and U.S. laws, regulations and policies that govern operations of foreign-based companies;
● changes to general consumer protection laws and regulations;
● difficulties in staffing and managing international operations as a result of distance, language and cultural differences; and
● threatened and actual terrorist attacks, political unrest in international markets and ongoing military action around the world that may result in disruptions of service that are critical to QVC’s international businesses.
Moreover, in many foreign countries, particularly in certain developing economies, it is not uncommon to encounter business practices that are prohibited by certain regulations, such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and similar laws. Although certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates have undertaken compliance efforts with respect to these laws, their respective employees, contractors and agents, as well as those companies to which they outsource certain of their business operations, may take actions in violation of their policies and procedures. Any such violation, even if prohibited by the policies and procedures of these subsidiaries and business affiliates or the law, could have certain adverse effects on the financial condition of these subsidiaries and business affiliates. Any failure by these subsidiaries and business
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affiliates to effectively manage the challenges associated with the international operation of their businesses could materially adversely affect their, and hence our, financial condition.
Although certain of our subsidiaries and business affiliates have undertaken compliance efforts with respect to these laws, their respective employees, contractors and agents, as well as those companies to which they outsource certain of their business operations, may take actions in violation of their policies and procedures. Any such violation, even if prohibited by the policies and procedures of these subsidiaries and business affiliates or the law, could have certain adverse effects on the financial condition of these subsidiaries and business affiliates. Any failure by these subsidiaries and business affiliates to effectively manage the challenges associated with the international operation of their businesses could materially adversely affect their, and hence our, financial condition.
Fluctuations in currency exchange rates may lead to lower revenues and earnings. Sales made by QVC outside the U.S. are denominated in the currency of the country in which its operations are located, and changes in currency exchange rates affect the translation of the sales and earnings of these businesses into U.S. dollars for financial reporting purposes. Because of this, movements in currency exchange rates have had, and are expected to continue to have, a significant impact on QVC’s results from time to time.
Changes in currency exchange rates can also increase the cost of inventory purchases that are denominated in a currency other than the local currency of the business buying the merchandise. When exchange rates change significantly in a short period or move unfavorably over an extended period, it can be difficult for QVC to adjust accordingly, and gross margin can be adversely affected. For example, a significant amount of merchandise QVC offers for sale is made in China and accordingly, a revaluation of Chinese currency, or increased market flexibility in the exchange rate for that currency, increasing its value relative to the U.S. dollar or currencies in which QVC’s stores are located, could be significant.
QVC expects that currency exchange rate fluctuations could have a material adverse effect on its sales and results of operations from time to time.
Weak and uncertain economic conditions worldwide may reduce consumer demand for our businesses’ products and services. Prolonged economic weakness and uncertainty in various regions of the world in which our subsidiaries and business affiliates operate could adversely affect demand for our businesses’ products and services since a substantial portion of our businesses’ revenue is derived from discretionary spending by individuals, which typically falls during times of inflation, recession and economic instability. Global financial markets may experience disruptions, including increased volatility and diminished liquidity and credit availability. If economic and financial market conditions in the U.S. or other key markets, including China, Japan and Europe deteriorate, customers of our subsidiaries and business affiliates may respond by suspending, delaying, or reducing their discretionary spending. A suspension, delay or reduction in discretionary spending could adversely affect our revenue. Accordingly, our ability to increase or maintain revenue and earnings could be adversely affected to the extent that relevant economic environments decline. We currently are unable to predict the extent of any of these potential adverse effects.
Additionally, there is ongoing uncertainty and potential economic disruptions relating to the U.K.’s withdrawal from the E.U. (“Brexit”), including the risk of additional regulatory and other costs and challenges or limitations on our ability to sell particular products. In particular, our businesses could be negatively affected by new trade agreements between the U.K. and other countries, including the U.S., and by the possible imposition of trade or other regulatory barriers, including the imposition of tariffs, in the U.K. which could result in shipping delays and shortages, or increased costs of products sold by our businesses. Additionally, the U.K. economy and consumer demand in the U.K., including for our products, could be negatively impacted. Further, if other member states where we have operations propose referendums to, or elect to, exit the E.U. there could be additional negative impacts on our businesses, which may affect our operating results.
Increases in market interest rates could increase our operating costs and decrease consumer demand, which may adversely affect our businesses. Interest rates have risen substantially since 2022 and may continue to rise. Increases in interest rates could increase our operating costs by increasing the cost of shipping, materials for our products, and/or labor. If competitive pressures or other economic factors prevent us from offsetting such increased costs by raising prices, our ability to increase or maintain revenue may be negatively impacted. In addition, an increase in interest rates could reduce
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consumer confidence, discretionary spending by individuals and adversely affect market demand for our products, which could materially adversely affect our businesses, financial condition and results of operations.
Significant developments stemming from U.S. and international trade policy with China, including in response to forced labor and human rights abuses in China, may adversely impact our businesses and operating results. The imposition of any new U.S. tariffs on Chinese imports or the taking of other actions against China in the future, and any responses by China, could impair our businesses’ ability to meet customer demand and could result in lost sales or an increase in our businesses’ cost of merchandise, which would have a material adverse impact on our businesses and results of operations.
Recently there have been heightened tensions in relations between Western nations and China. For example, on December 23, 2021, President Biden signed the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (the “UFLPA”) into law, which is intended to address the use of forced labor in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (“XUAR”). Among other things, the UFLPA imposes a presumptive ban on the import of goods to the U.S. that are made, wholly or in part, in the XUAR or by persons that participate in certain programs in the XUAR that entail the use of forced labor. The UFLPA took effect on June 21, 2022, and may increase the risk of delay of goods and inventory shortages. Additionally, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) issued a region-wide withhold release order (“WRO”), effective January 13, 2021, pursuant to which the CBP will detain cotton products produced in the XUAR. The WRO applies to, among other things, cotton grown in the XUAR and to all products made in whole or in part using such cotton, regardless of where the downstream products are produced, and importers are responsible for ensuring the products they are attempting to import do not exploit forced labor at any point in their supply chain, including the production or harvesting of the raw material. As a result of the WRO, products imported into the U.S. could be held by the CBP based on a suspicion that they originated from the XUAR or that they may have been produced by Chinese suppliers accused of participating in forced labor, pending the importer providing satisfactory evidence to the contrary. Such process could result in a delay or complete inability to import such goods, which could result in inventory shortages and lost sales. Additionally, the U.S. Treasury Department placed sanctions on China’s Xinjiang Production and Construction Corporation (“XPCC”) for serious human rights abuses against ethnic minorities in the XUAR. The XUAR is the source of large amounts of cotton and textiles for the global apparel supply chain and XPCC controls many of the cotton farms and much of the textile industry in the region. Although our businesses do not knowingly do business with XPCC, our businesses could be subject to penalties, fines or sanctions if any of the vendors from which they purchase goods is found to have dealings, directly or indirectly with XPCC or entities it controls. Even if our businesses were not subject to penalties, fines or sanctions, if products we source are linked in any way to XPCC, our businesses’ reputations could be damaged.
Other countries and jurisdictions have issued or may be considering similar measures. For example, on January 12, 2021, the Foreign Secretary of the U.K. announced a package of measures to help ensure that British organizations, whether public or private sector, are not complicit in, nor profiting from, the human rights violations in XUAR. On September 14, 2022, the European Commission issued its legislative proposal to ban the marketing of goods made with forced labor. As drafted, the new rules would apply to both imported goods and goods made in the E.U.
The full potential impact to us of the UFPLA and similar potential legislations in other countries and jurisdictions remains uncertain and could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations. Our businesses may incur expenses for the review pertaining to these matters and the cost of remediation and other changes to products, processes or sources of supply as a consequence of such verification activities. In the event of a significant disruption or unavailability in the supply of the fabrics or raw materials used by our vendors in the manufacture of our products, our businesses’ vendors might not be able to locate alternative suppliers of materials of comparable quality at an acceptable price. In addition, prices of purchased finished products also depend on wage rates in the regions where our businesses’ vendors’ contract manufacturers are located, as well as freight costs from those regions. Fluctuations in wage rates required by legal or industry standards could increase our businesses’ costs. Increases in raw material costs or wage rates, unless sufficiently offset by our pricing actions, may cause a decrease in our businesses’ profitability and negatively impact our businesses’ sales volume.
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Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Common Stock
Our subsidiary QVC has significant indebtedness, which could limit its flexibility to respond to current market conditions, restrict its business activities and adversely affect its financial condition. As of December 31, 2023, QVC had total secured debt, other than its finance lease obligations, of $4,364 million, consisting of $3,507 million of secured indebtedness under its existing notes and $857 million of secured indebtedness under the Credit Facility, in each case, secured by a first priority lien on all shares of its capital stock. There was $2.28 billion of unused capacity under the Credit Facility. In addition, QVC had $2 million of finance lease obligations and $515 million of operating lease liabilities. QVC may incur significant additional indebtedness in the future. If new indebtedness is added to QVC’s current debt levels, the related risks that it now faces could intensify. The indebtedness of QVC, combined with other financial obligations and contractual commitments, could among other things:
● increase QVC’s vulnerability to general adverse economic and industry conditions;
● require a substantial portion of QVC’s cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on its indebtedness;
● limit QVC’s ability to use cash flow or obtain additional financing for future working capital, capital expenditures or other general corporate purposes, which reduces the funds available to it for operations and any future business opportunities;
● limit flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in its business and the markets in which it operates;
● competitively disadvantage QVC compared with competitors that have less debt;
● limit QVC’s ability to borrow additional funds or to borrow funds at rates or on other terms that it finds acceptable; and
● expose QVC to the risk of increased interest rates because certain of QVC’s borrowings, including borrowings under the Credit Facility, are at variable interest rates.
Limitations imposed as a part of the debt, such as the availability of credit and the existence of restrictive covenants may, among other things:
● make it difficult for QVC to satisfy its financial obligations, including making scheduled principal and interest payments on the notes and its other indebtedness;
● restrict QVC from making strategic acquisitions or cause it to make non-strategic divestitures;
● limit QVC’s ability to borrow additional funds for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions or other general business purposes on satisfactory terms or at all;
● limit QVC’s flexibility to plan for, or react to, changes in its business and industry;
● place QVC at a competitive disadvantage compared to its less leveraged competitors; and limit its ability to respond to business opportunities.
If QVC experiences adverse effects on its financial condition as a result of their indebtedness, our financial performance could be adversely affected as well.
QVC may need to refinance its indebtedness. Although QVC expects to refinance or otherwise repay its indebtedness, it may not be able to refinance its indebtedness on commercially reasonable terms or at all. The financial terms or covenants of any new credit facility, notes or other indebtedness may not be as favorable as those under the Credit Facility and its existing notes. QVC’s ability to complete a refinancing of the Credit Facility and its existing notes prior to their respective maturities will depend on its financial and operating performance, its credit rating with rating agencies, as well as a number of conditions beyond its control. For example, if disruptions in the financial markets were to exist at the time that it intended to refinance this indebtedness, it might be restricted in its ability to access the financial markets. If QVC is unable to refinance its indebtedness, its alternatives would include negotiating an extension of the maturities of the Credit Facility and its existing notes with the lenders and holders, respectively, and seeking or raising new equity capital. If QVC were unsuccessful, the lenders under the Credit Facility and the holders of its existing notes could demand repayment of the indebtedness owed to them on the relevant maturity date, which could adversely affect its and our financial condition.
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Covenants in QVC’s debt agreements could restrict its business in many ways. The Credit Facility and the indentures governing its notes contain various covenants that limit its ability and/or its restricted subsidiaries' ability to, among other things:
● incur or assume liens or additional debt or provide guarantees in respect of obligations of other persons;
● pay dividends or make distributions or redeem or repurchase capital stock;
● prepay, redeem or repurchase debt;
● make loans, investments and capital expenditures;
● enter into agreements that restrict distributions from its subsidiaries;
● sell assets and capital stock of its subsidiaries;
● enter into sale and leaseback transactions;
● enter into certain transactions with affiliates;
● consolidate or merge with or into, or sell substantially all of its assets to, another person; and
● designate its subsidiaries as unrestricted subsidiaries.
In addition, the Credit Facility requires QVC to maintain a specified leverage ratio. QVC’s ability to meet this leverage ratio test can be affected by events beyond its control, and it may be unable to meet that test. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a default under the Credit Facility, which in turn could result in a default under the indentures governing its notes. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under the Credit Facility, the lenders could elect to declare all amounts outstanding under the Credit Facility to be immediately due and payable and terminate all commitments to extend further credit. If QVC were unable to repay those amounts, the lenders could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure that indebtedness. The Credit Facility and its notes are, and certain future indebtedness may be, secured by a first priority perfected lien in all shares of its capital stock. If the lenders and counterparties under the Credit Facility, its notes and certain future indebtedness accelerate the repayment of obligations, it may not have sufficient assets to repay such obligations. QVC’s borrowings under the Credit Facility are, and are expected to continue to be, at variable rates of interest and expose it to interest rate risk. If interest rates increase, QVC’s debt service obligations on the variable rate indebtedness will also increase even though the amount borrowed remains the same, and QVC’s net income decreases. In addition, QVC may hedge against interest rate fluctuations by using hedging instruments such as swaps, caps, options, forwards, futures or other similar products. These instruments may be used to selectively manage risks, but there can be no assurance that QVC will be fully protected against material interest rate fluctuations.
In addition, QVC’s bond indentures limit its ability to pay dividends or make other restricted payments if QVC is in default on its senior secured notes or its consolidated leverage ratio is greater than 3.5 to 1.0. In addition, the Credit Facility limits its ability to pay dividends or make other restricted payments if it is in default on the Credit Facility and its consolidated net leverage ratio is greater than 4.0 to 1.0. While QVC’s bond indentures and the Credit Facility credit agreement both allow for unlimited dividends to service our debt so long as there is no default (i.e., no leverage test is needed), QVC will remain limited in its ability to distribute cash to us for other purposes. As of December 31, 2023, QVC’s leverage ratio (as calculated under its senior secured notes) was greater than 3.5 to 1.0 and as a result there are restrictions on QVC’s ability to pay certain dividends or make other restricted payments to us. Consequently, until QVC’s leverage ratio under its senior secured notes is not greater than 3.5 to 1.0, we will not be able to rely on QVC’s cash flow for certain purposes (including to fund acquisitions or our other operational requirements), other than the service of our debt and to pay certain tax obligations related to QVC and its subsidiaries (which payments may be made by QVC to us under an intercompany tax sharing agreement in respect of certain tax obligations of QVC and its subsidiaries). While QVC has made significant distributions to us in the past, QVC will be unable to do so in the near term and we may need to obtain other funding sources for certain purposes other than to service our debt or to pay certain tax obligations related to QVC and its subsidiaries. There can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain such alternative funding sources on satisfactory terms or at all.
A substantial portion of our consolidated debt and other liabilities is held above the operating subsidiary level, and we could be unable in the future to obtain cash in amounts sufficient to service those liabilities and our other financial obligations. As of December 31, 2023, our wholly-owned subsidiary LI LLC had $1,573 million principal amount of publicly-traded debt outstanding. In addition, as of December 31, 2023, we had deferred tax liabilities of $1,053 million related to LI LLC’s exchangeable debentures. LI LLC is a holding company for certain of our subsidiaries and
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investments, including QVC. Our ability to meet the financial obligations of LI LLC and our other financial obligations will depend on our ability to access cash. Our sources of cash include our available cash balances, net cash from operating activities, dividends and interest from our investments, availability under credit facilities at the operating subsidiary level, monetization of our public investment portfolio and proceeds from asset sales. There are no assurances that we will maintain the amounts of cash, cash equivalents or marketable securities that we maintained over the past few years. The ability of our operating subsidiaries to pay dividends or to make other payments or advances to us or LI LLC depends on their individual operating results, any statutory, regulatory or contractual restrictions to which they may be or may become subject and the terms of their own indebtedness, including the Credit Facility and bond indentures. The agreements governing such indebtedness restrict sales of assets and prohibit or limit the payment of dividends or the making of distributions, loans or advances to stockholders and partners. Neither we nor LI LLC will generally receive cash, in the form of dividends, loans, advances or otherwise, from our business affiliates.
We have disposed of the reference shares underlying the exchangeable debentures of LI LLC, which exposes us to liquidity risk. LI LLC currently has outstanding multiple tranches of exchangeable debentures in the aggregate principal amount of $781 million as of December 31, 2023. Under the terms of these exchangeable debentures, the holders may elect to require LI LLC to exchange the debentures for the value of a specified number of the underlying reference shares, which LI LLC may honor through delivery of reference shares, cash or a combination thereof. Also, LI LLC is required to distribute to the holders of its exchangeable debentures any cash, securities (other than publicly traded securities, which would themselves become reference shares) or other payments made by the issuer of the reference shares in respect of those shares. The principal amount of the debentures will be reduced by the amount of any such required distributions other than regular cash dividends. LI LLC has disposed of the reference shares underlying these exchangeable debentures.
As a result of LI LLC having disposed of these reference shares, any exercise of the exchange right by, or required distribution of cash, securities or other payments to, holders of such debentures will require that LI LLC fund the required payments from its own resources, which will depend on the availability of cash or other sources of liquidity to LI LLC at that time. Additionally, in the event all reference shares underlying a series of exchangeable debentures are liquidated or otherwise cease to be outstanding without replacement, there is a possibility that the treatment of tax matters associated with that series could change. This may include acceleration of tax liabilities that are recorded as deferred tax liabilities in our financial statements, in amounts that would be significant.
Transactions in our common stock by our insiders could depress the market price of our common stock. Sales of or hedging transactions such as collars relating to our shares by John C. Malone, a director of our Company, Gregory B. Maffei, our Chairman of the Board, or David Rawlinson II, our Chief Executive Officer and President, or any of our other directors or executive officers could cause a perception in the marketplace that our stock price has peaked or that adverse events or trends have occurred or may be occurring at our Company. This perception can result notwithstanding any personal financial motivation for these insider transactions. As a result, insider transactions could depress the market price for shares of one or more series of our common stock.
It may be difficult for a third party to acquire us, even if doing so may be beneficial to our stockholders. Certain provisions of our restated charter and bylaws may discourage, delay or prevent a change in control of our Company that a stockholder may consider favorable. These provisions include:
● authorizing a capital structure with multiple series of common stock, a Series B common stock that entitles the holders to ten votes per share, a Series A common stock that entitles the holder to one vote per share, and a Series C common stock that except as otherwise required by applicable law, entitles the holder to no voting rights;
● classifying the Board of Directors with staggered three-year terms, which may lengthen the time required to gain control of the Board of Directors;
● limiting who may call special meetings of stockholders;
● prohibiting stockholder action by written consent, thereby requiring all stockholder actions to be taken at a meeting of the stockholders;
● establishing advance notice requirements for nominations of candidates for election to the Board of Directors or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings;
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● requiring stockholder approval by holders of at least 66 2/3% of our aggregate voting power or the approval by at least 75% of the Board of Directors with respect to certain extraordinary matters, such as a merger or consolidation of our Company, a sale of all or substantially all of our assets or an amendment to our restated charter; and
● the existence of authorized and unissued stock, including "blank check" preferred stock, which could be issued by the Board of Directors to persons friendly to our then current management, thereby protecting the continuity of our management, or which could be used to dilute the stock ownership of persons seeking to obtain control of our Company.

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ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.

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ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Item 2. Properties
We lease our corporate headquarters in Englewood, Colorado under a facilities agreement with LMC. All of our other real or personal property is owned or leased by our subsidiaries and business affiliates.
QxH leases its corporate headquarters and operations center in West Chester, Pennsylvania which consists of office space and includes executive offices, video broadcast studios, showrooms, broadcast facilities and administrative offices. QxH owns a multi-functional building in St. Petersburg, Florida. QxH leases distribution centers in Suffolk, Virginia; Florence, South Carolina; Ontario, California; Bethlehem, Pennsylvania; and Piney Flats, Tennessee.
QVC International owns a contact center in Kassel, Germany. QVC International owns a distribution center in Chiba, Japan and leases a distribution center in Hückelhoven, Germany. Additionally, QVC International owns multi-functional buildings in Chiba, Japan; Brugherio, Italy; and Dusseldorf, Germany, and leases multi-functional buildings in Knowsley, U.K. and London, U.K.
In December 2023, QVC entered into an agreement to sell its Kassel, Germany call center. This property is owned as of December 31, 2023, and is considered held for sale and included in other assets, at cost, net of accumulated amortization in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet. Refer to note 7 in the accompanying notes to our consolidated financial statements for further details.
CBI owns an office in Franconia, New Hampshire. CBI leases its fulfillment centers in Butler and Warren Counties in Ohio and as well as two facilities in Phoenix, Arizona. It also leases other properties consisting of administrative offices, 30 retail stores and outlets in various locations throughout the U.S.
Our other subsidiaries and business affiliates own or lease the fixed assets necessary for the operation of their respective businesses, including office space, transponder space, headends, cable television and telecommunications distribution equipment and telecommunications switches.

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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
None.

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ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II

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ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY
Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities.
Market Information
Each series of the common stock of Qurate Retail, Inc. ( “Qurate Retail,” the “Company,” “we,” “us” and “our”) trades on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Our Series A and Series B common stock trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, under the symbols “QRTEA” and “QRTEB.” Stock price information for securities traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market can be found on the Nasdaq’s website at www.nasdaq.com. The following table sets forth the range of high and low sales prices of shares of our Series B common stock for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. Although our Series B common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, an established public trading market does not exist for the stock, as it is not actively traded.
Qurate Retail
Series B (QRTEB)
High
Low
First quarter
$
8.08
4.75
Second quarter
$
5.80
3.61
Third quarter
$
21.93
3.04
Fourth quarter
$
13.56
4.20
First quarter
$
7.44
4.28
Second quarter
$
9.50
3.69
Third quarter
$
8.74
5.12
Fourth quarter
$
9.15
5.42
Holders
As of January 31, 2024, there were 2,148 and 58 record holders of our Series A and Series B common stock, respectively. The foregoing numbers of record holders do not include the number of stockholders whose shares are held nominally by banks, brokerage houses or other institutions, but include each such institution as one shareholder.
Dividends
On November 4, 2021, Qurate Retail announced that its board of directors (the “Board of Directors”) declared a special cash dividend in the amount of $1.25 per common share for an aggregate cash dividend of approximately $488 million based on shares outstanding as of October 31, 2021. The dividend was payable on November 22, 2021 to stockholders of record of Qurate Retail’s Series A and Series B common stock as of the close of business on November 15, 2021.
Aside from the above mentioned dividends, we have not paid any cash dividends on our common stock during the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021. Payment of cash dividends, if any, in the future will be determined by the Board of Directors in light of our earnings, financial condition and other relevant considerations. See Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation - Liquidity and Capital Resources.”
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
Information required by this item is incorporated by reference to our definitive proxy statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.
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Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer
Share Repurchase Programs
In May 2019, the board authorized the repurchase of $500 million of Series A or Series B common stock. In August 2021, the board authorized the repurchase of $500 million of Series A or Series B common stock.
There were no repurchases of Series A common stock, Series B common stock or the Company’s 8.0% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Preferred Stock”) during the three months ended December 31, 2023.
No shares of Series A common stock and 30 shares of Preferred Stock were surrendered by certain of our officers and employees to pay withholding taxes and other deductions in connection with the vesting of their restricted stock during the three months ended December 31, 2023.

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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
Item 6. [Reserved]

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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS
Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis provides information concerning our results of operations and financial condition. This discussion should be read in conjunction with our accompanying consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto. Additionally, see note 2 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for an overview of new accounting standards that we have adopted or that we plan to adopt that have had or may have an impact on our financial statements.
Overview
We own controlling and non-controlling interests in a broad range of video and online commerce companies. Our largest businesses and reportable segments are QxH (QVC U.S. and HSN, Inc. (“HSN”)) and QVC International. QVC, Inc. (“QVC”), which includes QxH and QVC International, markets and sells a wide variety of consumer products in the United States (“U.S.”) and several foreign countries via highly engaging video-rich, interactive shopping experiences. Cornerstone Brands, Inc. (“CBI”) consists of a portfolio of aspirational home and apparel brands, and is a reportable segment. Our “Corporate and other” category includes various cost method investments.
Zulily, LLC (“Zulily”) was a wholly owned subsidiary of Qurate Retail until its divestiture on May 24, 2023. Qurate Retail recognized a loss on the divestiture of $64 million in the second quarter of 2023. Zulily is included in Corporate and other through May 23, 2023 and is not presented as a discontinued operation as the disposition did not represent a strategic shift that had a major effect on Qurate Retail’s operations and financial results.
Included in revenue in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations is $301 million, $906 million and $1,453 million, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively, related to Zulily. Included in net earnings (loss) in the accompanying consolidated statement of operations is a loss of $44 million, a loss of $470 million, and a loss of $412 million, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively, related to Zulily. Included in total assets in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets as of December 31, 2022 is $257 million, related to Zulily.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in significant disruption to the global economy and negatively impacted us and our operations. For example, as a result of COVID-19, many traditional brick-and-mortar retailers temporarily closed their stores while distance retailers, such as QVC, continued operating. As a result, QVC initially experienced an increase in new customers and an increase in demand for certain categories, such as home and electronics. However, as traditional brick-and-mortar retailers were allowed to reopen their stores and consumers were able to resume prepandemic shopping habits, we observed a decline in customers and a decline in demand for our products.
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Beginning in the second quarter of 2021, QVC experienced escalating shipping disruptions due to challenges in the global supply chain and labor market. These factors caused extended lead time on inventory orders. As a result, the delayed receipt of inventory ordered in prior periods impacted QVC’s ability to have the right products at the right time. These factors also impacted QVC’s ability to offer certain goods and ship orders timely to our customers. Although these product shortages and supply chain disruptions have moderated, in the event of resurgences of COVID-19, including new variants in the future, or the occurrence of another pandemic or epidemic, QVC cannot be certain that they will be able to identify alternative sources for their products without delay or without greater cost to us.
In addition, as a result of COVID-19 QVC experienced material negative impacts to our financial results, including our capital and liquidity, decreases in the disposable income of existing and potential new customers, heightened inflation, increased currency volatility resulting in adverse currency rate fluctuations and higher interest rates.
QVC has seen inflationary pressures during the period, including higher wages and merchandise costs. If these pressures persist, inflated costs may result in certain increased costs outpacing QVC’s pricing power in the near term.
On December 18, 2021, QVC experienced a fire at its Rocky Mount fulfillment center in North Carolina. Rocky Mount was QVC’s second-largest fulfillment center, processing approximately 25% to 30% of volume for QVC U.S., and also served as QVC U.S.’s primary returns center for hard goods. The building was significantly damaged as a result of the fire and related smoke and would not reopen. QVC took steps to mitigate disruption to operations including diverting inbound orders, leveraging its existing fulfillment centers and supplementing these facilities with short-term leased space as needed. QVC sold the property in February 2023 and as of December 31, 2023 received net cash proceeds of $19 million. QVC continues to assess its network footprint and is making investments to expand capacity and increase throughput as a result of the loss of the Rocky Mount fulfillment center.
Based on the provisions of QVC’s insurance policies certain fire related costs were recoverable. In June 2023, QVC agreed to a final insurance settlement with its insurance company and received all remaining proceeds related to the Rocky Mount claim. As of December 31, 2022 and 2023, QVC recorded cumulative fire related costs of $407 million and $439 million, respectively. Cumulative costs as of December 31, 2022 and 2023 include $119 million of costs that were not reimbursable by QVC’s insurance policies. As of December 31, 2022 and 2023, QVC received cumulative insurance proceeds of $380 million and $660 million, respectively and recorded net gains, representing the proceeds received in excess of recoverable losses recognized, of $132 million and $208 million, respectively. Of the $280 million of insurance proceeds received during the year ended December 31, 2023, $210 million represents recoveries for business interruption losses. The fire related costs and gains related to insurance recoveries are included in restructuring, penalties and fire related costs, net of (recoveries) in the consolidated statement of operations.
While QVC took steps to minimize the overall impact to the business, it experienced increased warehouse and logistics costs during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022. QVC does not anticipate these increased warehouse and logistics costs will have a material impact on future periods.
In June 2022, QVC modified the finance lease for its distribution center in Ontario, California which reduced the term of the lease and removed QVC’s ability to take ownership of the distribution center at the end of the lease term. QVC will make annual payments over the modified lease term. Since the lease was modified and removed QVC’s ability to take ownership at the end of the lease term, the Company accounted for the modification similar to a sale and leaseback transaction, and as a result, recognized a $240 million gain on the sale of the distribution center during the second quarter of 2022 calculated as the difference between the aggregate consideration received (including cash of $250 million and forgiveness of the remaining financing obligation of $84 million) and the carrying value of the distribution center. The gain is included in gains on sale of asset and sale leaseback transactions in the consolidated statement of operations. The Company accounted for the modified lease as an operating lease and recorded a $37 million right-of-use asset and a $31 million operating lease liability, with the difference attributable to prepaid rent.
In July 2022, QVC sold five owned and operated properties located in the U.S. to an independent third party and received net cash proceeds of $443 million. Concurrent with the sale, QVC entered into agreements to lease each of the properties back from the purchaser over an initial term of 20 years with the option to extend the terms of the property leases for up to four consecutive terms of five years. QVC recognized a $277 million gain related to the successful sale
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leaseback during the year ended December 31, 2022, calculated as the difference between the aggregate consideration received and the carrying value of the properties. The Company accounted for the leases as operating leases and recorded a $207 million right-of-use asset and a $205 million operating lease liability, with the difference attributable to initial direct costs.
In November 2022, QVC entered into agreements to sell two properties located in Germany and the U.K. to an independent third party. Under the terms of the agreements, QVC received net cash proceeds of $102 million related to its German facility and $80 million related to its U.K. facility when the sale closed in January 2023. Concurrent with the sale, QVC entered into agreements to lease each of the properties back from the purchaser over an initial term of 20 years with the option to extend the terms of the property leases for up to four consecutive terms of five years. QVC recognized a $69 million and $44 million gain related to the successful sale leaseback of the German and U.K. properties, respectively, during the first quarter of 2023 calculated as the difference between the aggregate consideration received and the carrying value of the properties. The Company accounted for the leases as operating leases and recorded a $42 million and $32 million right-of-use asset and operating lease liability for the German and U.K. properties, respectively.
Strategies and Challenges
QVC
On June 27, 2022, Qurate Retail announced a five-point turnaround plan designed to stabilize and differentiate its QVC U.S. and HSN brands and expand the Company's leadership in video streaming commerce (“Project Athens”). Project Athens main initiatives include: (i) improve customer experience and grow relationships; (ii) rigorously execute core processes; (iii) lower cost to serve; (iv) optimize the brand portfolio; and (v) build new high growth businesses anchored in strength.
Improve Customer Experience and Grow Relationships. Qurate Retail is focused on rebuilding stronger connections with their customers. In order to improve customer experience and grow relationships, Qurate Retail is working to optimize programming using advanced analytics to align product offerings, promotions and airtime with customer preferences. In addition, we expect to invest in infrastructure which will endeavor to improve the customer's order to delivery experience by reducing shipping time and improving shipment tracking visibility. We will continue to focus on customer loyalty through providing customers with a more personalized experience.
Rigorously execute core processes. Qurate Retail is enhancing its core processes to deliver the human story telling experience behind a product while also sharing a clear and compelling value proposition. In order to rigorously execute core processes, Qurate Retail will optimize pricing and assortment by investing in enhanced IT systems that will support real-time pricing and promotion adjustments at an item level. We will also focus on growing our private label brands to drive revenue and margin at productive scale.
Lower cost to serve. Qurate Retail is right sizing its cost base to improve profitability and cash generation. In order to lower cost to serve, Qurate Retail will enhance review of spending to identify cost savings opportunities and opportunities to create new operational efficiencies, through end-to-end product and process reviews, and leveraging technology and process automation. Additionally, we will improve product margin through lower fulfillment costs, freight optimization and higher productivity.
Optimize the brand portfolio. Qurate Retail divested Zulily in the second quarter of 2023, consistent with its goal of optimizing the brand portfolio. Qurate Retail is exploring untapped opportunities to maximize brand value.
Build new high growth businesses anchored in strength. Finally, Qurate Retail is focused on expanding in the video streaming shopping market. In order to build new high growth businesses anchored in strength, Qurate Retail expects to expand streaming viewership by improving the current streaming experience with enhanced video and navigation and seamless transactions. Additionally, we are shaping the future streaming experience with exclusive content, program and deal concepts. We are also building a next generation shopping app featuring vendors with self-made content.
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QVC’s future net revenue will depend on its ability to grow through digital platforms, retain and grow revenue from existing customers and attract new customers. QVC's future net revenue may also be affected by (i) the willingness of cable television and direct-to-home satellite system operators to continue carrying QVC's programming service; (ii) QVC's ability to maintain favorable channel positioning, which may become more difficult due to governmental action or from distributors converting analog customers to digital; (iii) changes in television viewing habits because of video-on-demand technologies and Internet video services; (iv) QVC's ability to source new and compelling products; and (v) general economic conditions.
The current economic uncertainty in various regions of the world in which our subsidiaries and affiliates operate could adversely affect demand for their products and services since a substantial portion of their revenue is derived from discretionary spending by individuals, which typically falls during times of economic instability. Global financial markets may experience disruptions, including increased volatility and diminished liquidity and credit availability. If economic and financial market conditions in the U.S. or other key markets, including Japan and Europe, continue to be uncertain or deteriorate, customers may respond by suspending, delaying, or reducing their discretionary spending. A suspension, delay or reduction in discretionary spending could adversely affect revenue. Accordingly, our businesses’ ability to increase or maintain revenue and earnings could be adversely affected to the extent that relevant economic environments decline. Such weak economic conditions may also inhibit QVC’s expansion into new European and other markets. The Company is currently unable to predict the extent of any of these potential adverse effects.
During 2022, QVC commenced the first phase of Project Athens, including actions to reduce inventory and planned a workforce reduction that was completed in February 2023. These initiatives are consistent with QVC’s strategy to operate more efficiently as it implements its turnaround plan, and QVC expects to incur additional expenses related to Project Athens initiatives in future periods. During the year ended December 31, 2023, QVC implemented a workforce reduction and recorded restructuring charges of $13 million in restructuring, penalties and fire related costs, net of (recoveries) in the consolidated statements of operations.
CBI.
CBI’s goal is to continue to provide customers with appealing home furnishings and apparel products that delight and inspire. As customers shop CBI’s breadth of products through its websites, retail stores or through its catalog mailings, they will find products that allow them to outfit their lives and homes to their unique style. CBI’s brands, including Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Grandin Road and Garnet Hill, provide a selection of fresh, unique and aspirational merchandise curated every season. CBI intends to employ the following strategies to achieve these goals and objectives: (i) acquire new customers through effective direct-to-consumer marketing; (ii) expand brick-and-mortar retail in attractive markets; (iii) further develop proprietary product that is unique to its brand positioning; (iv) invest in cross brand loyalty programs and a redesigned mobile platform; and (v) build out a successful low cost supply chain network to support the growth of the business.
CBI looks to leverage its sourcing network by leaning on its merchandising team for further proprietary product development. As CBI grows, continuing to identify a stable and reliable supplier base that can partner with its brand merchants to develop future collections and offering will be key to the long-term health and growth of the business. If CBI is not able to identify markets capable of manufacturing at a logistics cost structure that aids the brand desire for further proprietary product, it may lose customers to lower cost competitors who rely on trading houses for product. Even if CBI identifies new vendors, it may not be able to purchase desired merchandise in sufficient quantities or on acceptable terms in the future, and products from alternative sources, if any, may be of a lesser quality or more expensive than those from existing vendors. An inability to purchase suitable merchandise on acceptable terms or to source new vendors could have an adverse effect on CBI’s business.
As a direct-to-consumer company, CBI endeavors to effectively target consumers to drive acquisition, repeat buyers and reactivated purchasers. CBI uses a balance of retail stores and digital marketing to entice customers to shop its assortment. CBI must incur costs related to its marketing efforts, including but not limited to, photography, digital analytics, paper purchases, catalog print relationships, and real estate development. As CBI grows, there will be challenges to market in a way that enables further consumer purchase expansion at a cost that continues to return value back to the business.
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Results of Operations-Consolidated
General. We provide in the tables below information regarding our Consolidated Operating Results and Other Income and Expense, as well as information regarding the contribution to those items from our principal reportable segments. The "Corporate and other" category consists of various cost method investments. For a more detailed discussion and analysis of the financial results of the principal reporting segments, see "Results of Operations - Businesses" below.
A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year 2023 compared to fiscal year 2022 is presented below. A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for fiscal year 2022 compared to fiscal year 2021 can be found in Part II, Item 7. "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, filed with the SEC on March 1, 2023 (the “2022 Form 10-K”).
Operating Results
Years ended December 31,
amounts in millions
Revenue
QxH
$
6,995
7,359
QVC International
2,454
2,528
CBI
1,165
1,313
Corporate and other
Consolidated Qurate Retail
$
10,915
12,106
Operating Income (Loss)
QxH
$
(1,820)
QVC International
CBI
Corporate and other
(90)
(575)
Consolidated Qurate Retail
$
(2,041)
Adjusted OIBDA
QxH
$
QVC International
CBI
Corporate and other
(64)
(122)
Consolidated Qurate Retail
$
1,074
1,064
Revenue. Our consolidated revenue decreased 9.8% for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding prior year period.
QxH, CBI and QVC International revenue decreased $364 million, $148 million and $74 million, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the same period in the prior year. See "Results of Operations - Businesses" below for a more complete discussion of the results of operations of QVC and CBI. Corporate and other revenue decreased $605 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the same period in the prior year, due to Zulily’s results only being recorded through May 23, 2023.
Operating income (loss). Our consolidated operating income increased $2,631 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the corresponding prior year period.
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QxH and QVC International operating income increased $2,095 million and $64 million, respectively, and CBI decreased by $13 million, for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the same period in the prior year. See "Results of Operations - Businesses" below for a more complete discussion of the results of operations of QVC and CBI. Operating income for Corporate and other increased $485 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily related to Zulily’s operations only being recorded through May 23, 2023 as a result of the divestiture of Zulily.
Adjusted Operating Income Before Depreciation and Amortization (“OIBDA”). To provide investors with additional information regarding our financial results, we also disclose Adjusted OIBDA, which is a non-GAAP financial measure. We define Adjusted OIBDA as operating income (loss) plus depreciation and amortization, stock-based compensation, and where applicable, separately identified impairments, litigation settlements, restructuring, penalties and fire related costs, net (including Rocky Mount inventory losses), and gains on sale of assets and leaseback transactions. Our chief operating decision maker and management team use this measure of performance in conjunction with other measures to evaluate our businesses and make decisions about allocating resources among our businesses. We believe this is an important indicator of the operational strength and performance of our businesses by identifying those items that are not directly a reflection of each business’ performance or indicative of ongoing business trends. In addition, this measure allows us to view operating results, perform analytical comparisons and benchmarking between businesses and identify strategies to improve performance. Adjusted OIBDA should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, operating income, net income, cash flows provided by operating activities and other measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).
The following table provides a reconciliation of Operating income (loss) to Adjusted OIBDA.
Years ended December 31,
amounts in millions
Operating income (loss)
$
(2,041)
Depreciation and amortization
Stock-based compensation
Restructuring, penalties and fire related costs, net of (recoveries)
(189)
Gains on sale of assets and sale leaseback transactions
(113)
(520)
Impairment of intangible assets
3,081
Adjusted OIBDA
$
1,074
1,064
Consolidated Adjusted OIBDA increased $10 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding prior year period.
All remaining businesses experienced Adjusted OIBDA declines for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding prior year period. See "Results of Operations - Businesses" below for a more complete discussion of the results of operations of QVC and CBI. Corporate and other Adjusted OIBDA increased $58 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding period in the prior year primarily due to the divestiture of Zulily and Adjusted OIBDA losses only being recorded through May 23, 2023.
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Other Income and Expense
Components of Other Income (Expense) are presented in the table below.
Years ended December 31,
amounts in millions
Interest expense
$
(451)
(456)
Interest and dividend income
Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments, net
(61)
Loss on disposition of Zulily
(64)
-
Tax sharing income (expense) with Liberty Broadband
(11)
Other, net
Other income (expense)
$
(524)
(267)
Interest expense. Interest expense decreased $5 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding prior year period, due to the reversal of interest expense accrued in prior periods related to QVC’s settlement of state income tax reserves during the current period, and a decrease in Corporate level interest expense due to the exchanges of the 1.75% Exchangeable Senior Debentures (as defined below) during the current period, partially offset by higher interest expense as a result of the outstanding balance and a higher interest rate on QVC’s senior secured credit facility (the “Credit Facility”) during the current period.
Interest and dividend income. Interest and dividend income increased $42 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding prior year period, primarily related to increases in cash balances during the first half of 2023 and higher interest rates on invested cash balances compared to the prior year.
Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments. Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments are comprised of changes in the fair value of the following:
Years ended December 31,
amounts in millions
Equity securities
$
(22)
Exchangeable senior debentures
(33)
Indemnification asset
(5)
(273)
Other financial instruments
(1)
(9)
$
(61)
The changes in these accounts are due primarily to market factors and changes in the fair value of the underlying stocks or financial instruments to which these relate. The increase in realized and unrealized losses for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the corresponding prior year was primarily due to an increase in unrealized losses on the exchangeable senior debentures driven by increases in stock prices of the securities underlying the debentures compared to the prior year, and an increase in unrealized losses on the Company’s equity securities, partially offset by a decrease in unrealized losses on the indemnification asset (see note 4 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements).
Loss on disposition of Zulily. The Company recorded a net loss of $64 million associated with the disposition of Zulily during the year ended December 31, 2023 (see note 1 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements).
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Tax sharing income (expense) with Liberty Broadband. The Company has a tax sharing agreement with Liberty Broadband. As a result, the Company recognized tax sharing loss of $11 million and tax sharing income of $79 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Other, net. Other, net decreased $34 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, when compared to the corresponding prior year periods. The activity captured in Other, net is primarily attributable to foreign exchange gains (losses) and tax sharing income. The increase in Other, net for the year ended December 31, 2023 is primarily due to the result of foreign exchange losses in the current year compared to foreign exchange gains in the prior year, and the sale of warrants at QVC in the prior year and no similar sale in the current year, partially offset by tax sharing income from Liberty Media Corporation (“LMC”).
Income taxes. Earnings (losses) before income taxes and income tax (expense) benefit are as follows:
Years ended December 31,
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes
$
(2,308)
Income tax (expense) benefit
(160)
(224)
Effective income tax rate
242%
10%
For the year ended December 31, 2023 income tax expense was greater than the U.S. statutory rate of 21% due to state income tax expense, foreign income tax expense, the impairment of goodwill that is not deductible for tax purposes, non-deductible interest expense related to Preferred Stock and stock compensation, partially offset by tax benefits from a decrease in effective tax rate used to measure deferred taxes.
For 2022, the most significant portion of the losses before income taxes relates to a goodwill impairment that is not deductible for tax purposes.
Net earnings (loss). We had net losses of $94 million and $2,532 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The change in net earnings (loss) was the result of the above-described fluctuations in our revenue, expenses and other gains and losses.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
As of December 31, 2023 substantially all of our cash and cash equivalents are invested in U.S. Treasury securities, other government securities or government guaranteed funds, AAA rated money market funds and other highly rated financial and corporate debt instruments.
The following are potential sources of liquidity: available cash balances, equity issuances, dividend and interest receipts, proceeds from asset sales, debt (including availability under the Credit Facility, as discussed in note 6 of the accompanying consolidated financial statements), and cash generated by the operating activities of our wholly-owned subsidiaries. Cash generated by the operating activities of our subsidiaries is only a source of liquidity to the extent such cash exceeds the working capital needs of the subsidiaries and is not otherwise restricted. For example, under QVC’s bond indentures, it is able to pay dividends or make other restricted payments if it is not in default on its senior secured notes and its consolidated leverage ratio is no greater than 3.5 to 1.0 (“the senior secured notes leverage basket”). In addition, under the Credit Facility, QVC is able to pay dividends or make other restricted payments if it is not in default on the Credit Facility and its consolidated net leverage ratio is no greater than 4.0 to 1.0. Further, under QVC’s bond indentures and the Credit Facility credit agreement, unlimited dividends are permitted to service the debt of Qurate Retail so long as there is no default (i.e., no leverage test is needed).
As of December 31, 2023, QVC’s consolidated leverage ratio (as calculated under QVC’s senior secured notes) was greater than 3.5 to 1.0 and as a result QVC is restricted in its ability to make dividends or other restricted payments under the senior secured notes. Although QVC will not be able to make unlimited dividends or other restricted payments under the senior secured notes leverage basket, QVC will continue to be permitted to make unlimited dividends to parent entities of QVC to service the principal and interest when due in respect of indebtedness of such parent entities (so long as there is no default under the indentures governing QVC’s senior secured notes or the Credit Facility) and permitted to make certain restricted payments to Qurate Retail under an intercompany tax sharing agreement in respect of certain tax obligations of QVC and its subsidiaries.
Qurate Retail and certain of its subsidiaries’ debt credit ratings were downgraded during the year ended December 31, 2023 as follows: (i) Fitch Ratings downgraded Qurate Retail, LI LLC, and QVC’s long-term issuer default ratings from “BB-” to “B”, LI LLC’s senior unsecured rating from “BB-” to “CCC+”, and QVC’s senior secured rating from “BB+” to “B+”; (ii) S&P Global downgraded LI LLC’s issuer credit rating from “B-” to “CCC+”, LI LLC’s senior unsecured rating from “CCC” to “CCC-”, and QVC’s senior secured rating from “B+” to “B-”; and (iii) Moody’s downgraded LI LLC corporate family rating from “B1” to “B3”, LI LLC’s senior unsecured rating from “B3” to “Caa2”, and QVC’s senior secured debt ratings from “Ba3” to “B2.”
Qurate Retail and its subsidiaries are in compliance with their debt covenants as of December 31, 2023.
As of December 31, 2023, Qurate Retail's liquidity position consisted of the following:
Cash and cash
equivalents
amounts in millions
QVC
$
CBI
Corporate and other
Total Qurate Retail
$
1,121
To the extent that the Company recognizes any taxable gains from the sale of assets, we may incur tax expense and be required to make tax payments, thereby reducing any cash proceeds. Additionally, we have $2.28 billion available for borrowing under the Credit Facility at December 31, 2023. As of December 31, 2023, QVC had approximately $204 million of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash held in foreign subsidiaries that is available for domestic purposes with no significant tax consequences upon repatriation to the U.S. QVC accrues taxes on the unremitted earnings of its international subsidiaries. Approximately 76% of this foreign cash balance was that of QVC Japan. QVC owns 60% of QVC Japan and shares all profits and losses with the 40% minority interest holder, Mitsui & Co, LTD.
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Our cash generated by operating activities was significantly higher in 2023 than it was in 2022 due to receipt of insurance proceeds and favorable working capital trends. We believe our businesses will continue to generate positive cash from operating activities in future periods.
Years ended December 31,
Cash Flow Information
amounts in millions
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities
$
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities
$
(54)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities
$
(1,010)
(72)
During the year ended December 31, 2023, Qurate Retail's primary sources of cash were insurance proceeds of $280 million, proceeds from the sales of fixed assets of $208 million, and proceeds of $71 million from disposition of investments, partially offset by capital expenditures of $230 million, expenditure for television distribution rights of $113 million, and dividends paid to noncontrolling interest of $53 million.
The projected uses of Qurate Retail’s cash in the next year, outside of normal operating expenses (inclusive of tax payments), are the costs to service outstanding debt including approximately $330 million for estimated interest payments on corporate level and other subsidiary debt, anticipated capital improvement spending between $235 million and $250 million, the repayment of certain debt obligations, payments related to television distribution rights, payment of dividends to the holders of the Preferred Stock, and additional investments in existing or new businesses. The Company also may be required to make net payments of income tax liabilities to settle items under discussion with tax authorities. The Company expects that cash on hand and cash provided by operating activities in future periods and outstanding borrowing capacity will be sufficient to fund projected uses of cash.
The Company may from time to time repurchase any level of its outstanding debt through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions, redemptions, tender offers or otherwise. Repurchases or retirement of debt, if any, will depend on prevailing market conditions, liquidity requirements, contractual restrictions and other factors. The amounts involved may be material.
On February 27, 2024, QVC delivered a notice of redemption to the trustee and holders of QVC’s 4.85% senior secured notes due 2024 (the “2024 Notes”). Pursuant to the notice of redemption, QVC expects to redeem the remaining outstanding 2024 Notes in full on March 28, 2024.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Aggregate Material Cash Requirements
In connection with agreements for the sale of assets by our Company, we may retain liabilities that relate to events occurring prior to the sale, such as tax, environmental, litigation and employment matters. We generally indemnify the purchaser in the event that a third party asserts a claim against the purchaser that relates to a liability retained by us. These types of indemnification obligations may extend for a number of years. We are unable to estimate the maximum potential liability for these types of indemnification obligations as the sale agreements may not specify a maximum amount and the amounts are dependent upon the outcome of future contingent events, the nature and likelihood of which cannot be determined at this time. Historically, we have not made any significant indemnification payments under such agreements and no amount has been accrued in the accompanying consolidated financial statements with respect to these indemnification obligations.
We have contingent liabilities related to legal and tax proceedings and other matters arising in the ordinary course of business. Although it is reasonably possible we may incur losses upon conclusion of such matters, an estimate of any loss or range of loss cannot be made. In the opinion of management, it is expected that amounts, if any, which may be required to satisfy such contingencies will not be material in relation to the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
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Information concerning the amount and timing of required payments, both accrued and off-balance sheet, under our material cash requirements, excluding uncertain tax positions as it is undeterminable when payments will be made, is summarized below.
Payments due by period
Less than
After
Total
1 year
2 - 3 years
4 - 5 years
5 years
amounts in millions
Consolidated material cash requirements
Long-term debt (1)
$
5,939
1,448
1,081
2,984
Interest payments (2)
3,631
2,280
Finance and operating lease obligations
1,363
Preferred Stock (3)
2,008
1,500
Purchase orders and other obligations (4)
2,030
1,966
-
Total
$
14,971
2,945
2,511
1,909
7,606
(1) Amounts are reflected in the table at the outstanding principal amount, assuming the debt instruments will remain outstanding until the stated maturity date, and may differ from the amounts stated in our consolidated balance sheet to the extent debt instruments (i) were issued at a discount or premium or (ii) have elements which are reported at fair value in our consolidated balance sheets. Amounts do not assume additional borrowings or refinancings of existing debt.
(2) Amounts (i) are based on our outstanding debt at December 31, 2023, (ii) assume the interest rates on our variable rate debt remain constant at the December 31, 2023 rates and (iii) assume that our existing debt is repaid at maturity.
(3) This amount reflects the annual 8.0% dividend on shares of Preferred Stock outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and redemption of the Preferred Stock on March 15, 2031.
(4) Amounts include open purchase orders for inventory and non-inventory purchases along with other material cash requirements.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of our financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Listed below are the accounting estimates that we believe are critical to our financial statements due to the degree of uncertainty regarding the estimates or assumptions involved and the magnitude of the asset, liability, revenue or expense being reported. All of these accounting estimates and assumptions, as well as the resulting impact to our financial statements, have been discussed with the audit committee of the Board of Directors.
Fair Value Measurements of Non-Financial Instruments. Our non-financial instrument valuations are primarily comprised of our annual assessment of the recoverability of our goodwill and other nonamortizable intangible assets, such as tradenames and our evaluation of the recoverability of our other long-lived assets upon certain triggering events, and our determination of the estimated fair value allocation of net tangible and identifiable intangible assets acquired in business combinations. If the carrying value of our long-lived assets exceeds their undiscounted cash flows, we are required to write the carrying value down to fair value. Any such write down is included in impairment of long-lived assets in our consolidated statements of operations. A high degree of judgment is required to estimate the fair value of our long-lived assets. We may use quoted market prices, prices for similar assets, present value techniques and other valuation techniques to prepare these estimates. We may need to make estimates of future cash flows and discount rates as well as other assumptions in order to implement these valuation techniques. Due to the high degree of judgment involved in our estimation techniques, any value ultimately derived from our long-lived assets may differ from our estimate of fair
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value. As each of our operating segments has long-lived assets, this critical accounting policy affects the financial position and results of operations of each segment.
As of December 31, 2023, the intangible assets not subject to amortization for each of our significant reportable segments were as follows:
Goodwill
Tradenames
Total
amounts in millions
QxH
$
2,367
2,698
5,065
QVC International
-
CBI
-
$
3,164
2,698
5,862
We perform our annual assessment of the recoverability of our goodwill and other non-amortizable intangible assets during the fourth quarter of each year, or more frequently, if events or circumstances indicate impairment may have occurred. We utilize a qualitative assessment for determining whether a quantitative goodwill and other non-amortizable intangible asset impairment analysis is necessary. The accounting guidance permits entities to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount as a basis for determining whether it is necessary to perform the quantitative goodwill impairment test. In evaluating goodwill on a qualitative basis the Company reviews the business performance of each reporting unit and evaluates other relevant factors as identified in the relevant accounting guidance to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indicated impairment exists for any of our reporting units. The Company considers whether there are any negative macroeconomic conditions, industry specific conditions, market changes, increased competition, increased costs in doing business, management challenges, the legal environments and how these factors might impact company specific performance in future periods. As part of the analysis the Company also considers fair value determinations for certain reporting units that have been made at various points throughout the current and prior years for other purposes. In 2023 an impairment of $326 million was recorded to QxH’s goodwill. In 2022, an impairment of $2,535 million was recorded to QxH’s goodwill. In 2022 and 2021, impairments of $226 million and $233 million were recorded to Zulily’s goodwill, respectively. No tradename impairments were recorded during the year ended December 31, 2023. In 2022, an impairment of $180 million was recorded to the QxH tradename (related to the tradename associated with HSN). In 2022 and 2021, impairments of $140 million and $130 million were recorded to Zulily’s tradename, respectively.
Retail Related Adjustments and Allowances. QVC records adjustments and allowances for sales returns, inventory obsolescence and uncollectible receivables. Each of these adjustments is estimated based on historical experience. Sales returns are calculated as a percent of sales and are netted against revenue in its consolidated statements of operations. Sales returns represented 16.3% and 15.3% of gross product revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The inventory obsolescence reserve is calculated as a percent of QVC's inventory at the end of a reporting period based on, among other factors, the aging of its inventory balance, the likely method of disposition, and the estimated recoverable values based on historical experience of inventory markdowns and liquidation. The change in the reserve is included in cost of goods sold in the consolidated statements of operations. As of December 31, 2023, QVC's inventory was $860 million, which was net of the obsolescence reserve of $115 million. As of December 31, 2022, QVC’s inventory was $1,035 million, which was net of the obsolescence reserve of $143 million. QVC's allowance for credit losses is calculated as a percent of accounts receivable at the end of a reporting period, and is based on historical experience, with the change in such allowance recorded as a provision for credit losses in selling, general and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of operations. Trade accounts receivable (including installment payment, credit card and customer receivables) were $1,294 million and $1,319 million, as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Allowance for credit losses related to uncollectible trade accounts receivable was $82 million and $87 million as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Each of these estimates requires management judgment and may not reflect actual results.
Income Taxes. We are required to estimate the amount of tax payable or refundable for the current year and the deferred income tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been reflected in our financial statements or tax returns for each taxing jurisdiction in which we operate. This process requires our management to make judgments regarding the timing and probability of the ultimate tax impact of the various agreements and
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transactions that we enter into. Based on these judgments we may record tax reserves or adjustments to valuation allowances on deferred tax assets to reflect the expected realizability of future tax benefits. Actual income taxes could vary from these estimates due to future changes in income tax law, significant changes in the jurisdictions in which we operate, our inability to generate sufficient future taxable income or unpredicted results from the final determination of each year's liability by taxing authorities. These changes could have a significant impact on our financial position.
Results of Operations-Businesses
QVC
QVC is a retailer of a wide range of consumer products, which are marketed and sold primarily by merchandise-focused televised shopping programs, the Internet and mobile applications.
In the U.S., QVC's televised shopping programs, including live and recorded content, are distributed across multiple channels nationally on a full-time basis, including QVC, QVC2, QVC3, HSN, and HSN2. The Company's U.S. programming is also available on QVC.com and HSN.com, which we refer to as QVC's "U.S. websites"; virtual multichannel video programming distributors (including Hulu + Live TV, DirectTV Stream and YouTube TV); applications via streaming video; Facebook Live, Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Xfinity Flex and Samsung TV Plus; mobile applications; social media pages and over-the-air broadcasters.
QVC's digital platforms enable consumers to purchase goods offered on its televised programming, along with a wide assortment of products that are available only on its U.S. websites. QVC.com and its other digital platforms (including its mobile applications, social media pages and others) are natural extensions of its business model, allowing customers to engage in its shopping experience wherever they are, with live or on-demand content customized to the device they are using. In addition to offering video content, QVC’s U.S. websites allow shoppers to browse, research, compare and perform targeted searches for products, read customer reviews, control the order-entry process and conveniently access their account.
Internationally, QVC's televised shopping programs, including live and recorded content, are distributed to households outside of the U.S., primarily in Germany, Austria, Japan, the United Kingdom ("U.K."), the Republic of Ireland, and Italy. In some of the countries where QVC operates, QVC's televised shopping programs are distributed across multiple QVC channels: QVC Style and QVC2 in Germany and QVC Beauty, QVC Extra and QVC Style in the U.K. Similar to the U.S., QVC’s international businesses also engage customers via websites, mobile applications and social media pages. QVC's international business employs product sourcing teams who select products tailored to the interests of each local market.
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QVC's operating results were as follows:
Years ended December 31,
amounts in millions
Net revenue
$
9,449
9,887
Cost of goods sold (excluding depreciation, amortization and Rocky Mount inventory losses shown below)
(6,273)
(6,751)
Operating expenses
(739)
(760)
SG&A expenses (excluding stock-based compensation)
(1,366)
(1,268)
Adjusted OIBDA
1,071
1,108
Restructuring, penalties and fire related (costs), net of recoveries (including Rocky Mount inventory losses)
Gains on sale of assets and sale leaseback transactions
Impairment of intangible assets
(326)
(2,715)
Stock-based compensation
(37)
(36)
Depreciation and amortization
(372)
(401)
Operating income (loss)
$
(1,514)
Net revenue was generated from the following geographical areas:
Years ended December 31,
amounts in millions
QxH
$
6,995
7,359
QVC International
2,454
2,528
$
9,449
9,887
QVC's consolidated net revenue decreased 4.4% for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding prior year. The $438 million decrease in 2023 net revenue was primarily due to a 5.3% decrease in units shipped across both segments, $40 million in unfavorable foreign exchange rates, a $41 million decrease in shipping and handling revenue at QxH and to a lesser extent QVC International and a $55 million increase in estimated product returns at QxH. These declines were partially offset by a 2.7% increase in average selling price (“ASP”) across both segments.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, the change in revenue and expenses was affected by the change in the exchange rates for the U.K. Pound Sterling, the Euro and the Japanese Yen. In the event the U.S. Dollar strengthens against these foreign currencies in the future, QVC's revenue and operating cash flow will be negatively affected.
In discussing QVC’s operating results, the term “currency exchange rates” refers to the currency exchange rates QVC uses to convert the operating results for all countries where the functional currency is not the U.S. Dollar. QVC calculates the effect of changes in currency exchange rates as the difference between current period activity translated using the prior period's currency exchange rates. Throughout this discussion, we refer to the results of this calculation as the impact of currency exchange rate fluctuations. When we refer to “constant currency operating results”, this means operating results without the impact of the currency exchange rate fluctuations. The disclosure of constant currency amounts or results permits investors to understand better QVC’s underlying performance without the effects of currency exchange rate fluctuations.
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The percentage change in net revenue for QVC in U.S. Dollars and in constant currency was as follows:
Year ended December 31, 2023
U.S. dollars
Foreign Currency Exchange Impact
Constant currency
QxH
(5.0)
%
-
%
(5.0)
%
QVC International
(2.9)
%
(1.6)
%
(1.3)
%
In 2023, the QxH net revenue decrease was primarily due to a 6.3% decrease in units shipped, a $55 million increase in estimated product returns, and a $34 million decrease in shipping and handling revenue. These declines were partially offset by a 3.1% increase in ASP. For the year ended December 31, 2023, QxH experienced shipped sales declines across all categories. The increase in estimated product returns was primarily driven by higher return rates and shifts in sales mix. QVC International net revenue decline in constant currency was primarily due to a 3.1% decrease in units shipped across all markets except the U.K. and a $7 million decrease in shipping and handling revenue. These declines were partially offset by a 2.3% increase in ASP driven by Germany and Japan. For the year ended December 31, 2023, QVC International experienced shipped sales growth in constant currency in beauty and home with declines across all other product categories.
QVC's cost of goods sold as a percentage of net revenue was 66.4%, and 68.3% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The decrease in cost of goods sold as a percentage of revenue in 2023 is primarily due to product margin expansion across both segments and lower inventory obsolescence and lower freight costs driven by QxH. These decreases were partially offset by higher warehousing costs primarily in QVC International and to a lesser extent QxH. Higher warehousing costs for the year ended December 31, 2023 are primarily due to higher rent expense of $33 million as a result of warehouses sold and leased back during the prior year and current period, partially offset by favorability at QxH as a result of strains on our fulfillment network due to the loss of the Rocky Mount fulfillment center impacting the prior year that did not recur at the same level in the current year.
QVC’s operating expenses are principally comprised of commissions, order processing and customer service expenses, credit card processing fees, and telecommunications expenses. Operating expenses decreased $21 million or 3% for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the prior year. Operating expenses were 7.8% and 7.7% of net revenue for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The decrease in 2023 was primarily due to a decrease of $19 million in personnel costs primarily at QxH, a decrease in credit card processing fees of $5 million primarily at QxH and a $5 million decrease as a result of favorable exchange rates, partially offset by an increase of $10 million in commissions expense at QxH, primarily due to higher fixed MSO commission contracts.
QVC’s SG&A expenses excluding stock-based compensation include personnel, information technology, provision for doubtful accounts, production costs and marketing and advertising expense. Such expenses increased $98 million, and were 14.5% of net revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 as compared to the prior year.
The increase in 2023 was due to a $71 million increase in consulting fees, a $55 million increase in personnel costs and an $8 million increase in rent, all of which were primarily driven by QxH. These increases were partially offset by a $16 million decrease in estimated credit losses and a $12 million decrease in marketing costs, both primarily driven by QxH. The decrease to estimated credit losses was due to an unfavorable adjustment recognized in the prior year compared to favorable adjustments recognized in the current year based on actual collections experience, lower sales volume and shifts in sales mix.
QVC recorded a gain of $196 million and a gain of $10 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively, in restructuring, penalties and fire related costs, net of recoveries. For the year ended December 31, 2023, the gain related to a $240 million gain on insurance proceeds received in excess of fire losses and a $17 million gain on the sale of the Rocky Mount property, partially offset by $32 million of other fire related costs, a Consumer Product Safety Commission (“CPSC”) civil penalty of $16 million and $13 million of restructuring costs related to workforce reduction. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the gain primarily related to insurance proceeds received for inventory and fixed asset losses partially offset by write-downs on Rocky Mount inventory and restructuring costs primarily related to workforce reduction. Expenses indirectly related to the Rocky Mount fulfillment center fire, including operational inefficiencies, are primarily included in Cost of goods sold.
II-16
QVC recorded $113 million of gains on sale of assets and sale leaseback transactions for the year ended December 31, 2023. These gains primarily related to the sale leaseback of two owned and operated properties located in Germany and the U.K. QVC recorded $520 million of gains on sale leaseback transactions for the year ended December 31, 2022. These gains related to the sale leaseback of six owned and operated U.S. properties.
QVC recorded an impairment loss of $326 million for the year ended December 31, 2023 related to the decrease in fair value of the QxH reporting unit as a result of the quantitative assessment that was performed by the Company (see note 5 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements).
QVC recorded an impairment loss of $2,715 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 related to the decrease in the fair value of the HSN indefinite-lived tradename and the QxH reporting unit (see note 5 to the accompanying consolidated financial statements).
Stock-based compensation includes compensation related to options and restricted stock granted to certain officers and employees. QVC recorded $37 million and $36 million of stock-based compensation expense for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
Depreciation and amortization decreased $29 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding prior year. Depreciation and amortization included $62 million of acquisition related amortization during each of the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2023, depreciation and amortization was primarily related to the six owned and operated U.S. properties sold and leased back during 2022 and the Germany and the U.K. properties sold and leased back during the first quarter of 2023, as well as lower channel placement amortization and related expenses due to adjustments recognized related to lower subscriber counts and a reduction in channel placement assets due to reduced contract terms, partially offset by an increase in software amortization due to software additions including an enhancement to QVC's Enterprise Resource Planning system that was placed into service in the second quarter of 2023.
CBI
CBI consists of a portfolio of aspirational home and apparel brands in the U.S. that sell merchandise through brick-and-mortar retail locations as well as via the Internet through their websites.
CBI's operating results for the last two years were as follows:
Years ended December 31,
amounts in millions
Net revenue
$
1,165
1,313
Cost of goods sold
(717)
(850)
Operating expenses
(45)
(48)
SG&A expenses (excluding stock-based compensation)
(336)
(337)
Adjusted OIBDA
Stock-based compensation
(4)
(3)
Depreciation and amortization
(26)
(27)
Restructuring costs
(2)
-
Operating income (loss)
$
CBI's consolidated net revenue decreased 11.3% for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding prior year, primarily attributable to a decrease in ASP and units shipped compared to the prior year. The decrease in ASP was primarily the result of increased promotional activity.
II-17
CBI's cost of goods sold as a percentage of net revenue was 61.5% and 64.7% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Cost of goods sold as a percentage of net revenue decreased for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the prior year, primarily due to lower inbound logistics costs driven by lower storage fees and ocean container rates.
CBI’s operating expenses are principally comprised of credit card fees and customer service expenses. Operating expenses decreased $3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the prior year, driven by decreased credit card fees and customer service charges due to decreased revenue.
CBI’s SG&A expenses include print, digital and retail marketing. As a percentage of net revenue, SG&A increased to 28.8% from 25.7% for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. This increase is primarily due to lower revenues compared to the prior year.
CBI’s stock-based compensation expense increased $1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to a valuation adjustment.
CBI’s depreciation and amortization expense increased $1 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the corresponding period in the prior year, primarily due to increased capital investments, primarily in retail stores and technology.
CBI had restructuring charges of $2 million during the year ended December 31, 2023, as a result of a corporate restructuring in May 2023. The costs relate to severance expense and outplacement services.

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ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk.
We are exposed to market risk in the normal course of business due to our ongoing investing and financial activities and the conduct of operations by our subsidiaries in different foreign countries. Market risk refers to the risk of loss arising from adverse changes in stock prices, interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates. The risk of loss can be assessed from the perspective of adverse changes in fair values, cash flows and future earnings. We have established policies, procedures and internal processes governing our management of market risks and the use of financial instruments to manage our exposure to such risks.
We are exposed to changes in interest rates primarily as a result of our borrowing and investment activities, which include investments in fixed and floating rate debt instruments and borrowings used to maintain liquidity and to fund business operations. The nature and amount of our long-term and short-term debt are expected to vary as a result of future requirements, market conditions and other factors. We manage our exposure to interest rates by maintaining what we believe is an appropriate mix of fixed and variable rate debt. We believe this best protects us from interest rate risk. We have achieved this mix by (i) issuing fixed rate debt that we believe has a low stated interest rate and significant term to maturity, (ii) issuing variable rate debt with appropriate maturities and interest rates and (iii) entering into interest rate swap arrangements when we deem appropriate. As of December 31, 2023, our debt is comprised of the following amounts:
Variable rate debt
Fixed rate debt
Principal
Weighted avg
Principal
Weighted avg
amount
interest rate
amount
interest rate
dollar amounts in millions
QxH and QVC International
$
7.0
%
$
3,509
5.2
%
Corporate and other
$
-
-
%
$
1,573
6.1
%
Qurate Retail is exposed to foreign exchange rate fluctuations related primarily to the monetary assets and liabilities and the financial results of QVC's foreign subsidiaries. Assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries for which the functional currency is the local currency are translated into U.S. Dollars at period-end exchange rates, and the statements of operations are generally translated at the average exchange rate for the period. Exchange rate fluctuations on
II-18
translating foreign currency financial statements into U.S. Dollars that result in unrealized gains or losses are referred to as translation adjustments. Cumulative translation adjustments are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive earnings (loss) as a separate component of stockholders' equity. Transactions denominated in currencies other than the functional currency are recorded based on exchange rates at the time such transactions arise. Subsequent changes in exchange rates result in transaction gains and losses, which are reflected in income as unrealized (based on period-end translations) or realized upon settlement of the transactions. Cash flows from our operations in foreign countries are translated at the average rate for the period. Accordingly, Qurate Retail may experience economic loss and a negative impact on earnings and equity with respect to our holdings solely as a result of foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations. QVC's reported Adjusted OIBDA for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021 would have been impacted by approximately $3 million, $4 million and $6 million, respectively, for every 1% change in foreign currency exchange rates relative to the U.S. Dollar.
We periodically assess the effectiveness of our derivative financial instruments. With regard to interest rate swaps, we monitor the fair value of interest rate swaps as well as the effective interest rate the interest rate swap yields, in comparison to historical interest rate trends. We believe that any losses incurred with regard to interest rate swaps would be largely offset by the effects of interest rate movements on the underlying debt facilities. These measures allow our management to evaluate the success of our use of derivative instruments and to determine when to enter into or exit from derivative instruments.

---

ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.
The consolidated financial statements of Qurate Retail are filed under this Item, beginning on page II-25. The financial statement schedules required by Regulation S-X are filed under Item 15 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

---

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS
Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure.
None.

---

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures.
Disclosure Controls and Procedures
In accordance with Rules 13a-15 and 15d-15 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), the Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of management, including its chief executive officer and its principal accounting and financial officer (the “Executives”) and under the supervision of its Board of Directors, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures as of December 31, 2023. Based on that evaluation, the Executives concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of December 31, 2023 to provide reasonable assurance that information required to be disclosed in its reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms.
Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
See page II-21 for Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting.
See page II-22 for KPMG LLP’s report regarding the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
Other than as discussed below in “Remediation of Material Weakness in Internal Control over Financial Reporting” there has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the
II-19
Company’s quarter ended December 31, 2023, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Remediation of Material Weakness in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
See “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures - Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting” and “Item 9A. Controls and Procedures - Material Weakness in Internal Control” contained in the 2022 Form 10-K for disclosure of information about the material weakness that was reported as a result of the Company’s annual assessment as of December 31, 2022 and remediation plans for that material weakness.
In response to the material weakness identified in Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting as set forth in Part II, Item 9A in the 2022 Form 10-K, the Company developed a plan with oversight from the audit committee of the Board of Directors to remediate the material weakness. The remediation efforts implemented include the following:
● Enhanced the information technology general controls (“ITGC”) risk assessment process;
● Evaluated talent and addressing identified gaps;
● Delivered training on internal control over financial reporting;
● Improved change management and logical access control activities that contributed to the ITGC material weakness including removing all inappropriate information technology system access associated with the ITGC material weakness;
● Implemented user activity monitoring for control activities contributing to the ITGC material weakness; and
● Implemented additional compensating control activities over the completeness and accuracy of data provided by the affected systems.
For the quarter ended December 31, 2023, the Company completed the testing and evaluation of the operating effectiveness of the controls and determined that the controls were designed and operating effectively as of December 31, 2023. Accordingly, the Company concluded the previously reported material weakness was remediated as of December 31, 2023.

---

ITEM 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 9B. Other Information.
Insider Trading Arrangements
None of the Company’s directors or officers adopted or terminated a Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement or a non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement during the Company’s last fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2023.

---

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
Item 10.
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

---

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
Item 11.
Executive Compensation

---

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
Item 12.
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

---

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS
Item 13.
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

---

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
Item 14.
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
We expect to file our definitive proxy statement for our 2024 Annual Meeting of Shareholders with the Securities and Exchange Commission on or before April 29, 2024.
III-1
PART IV.

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ITEM 15. EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules.
(a)(1) Financial Statements
Included in Part II of this report:
Page No.
Qurate Retail, Inc.:
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (KPMG LLP, Denver, CO, Auditor Firm ID: 185)
II-22 & II-23
Consolidated Balance Sheets, December 31, 2023 and 2022
II-25
Consolidated Statements of Operations, Years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021
II-27
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Earnings (loss), Years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021
II-28
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, Years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021
II-29
Consolidated Statements of Equity, Years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021
II-30
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021
II-31
(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules
(i) All schedules have been omitted because they are not applicable, not material or the required information is set forth in the financial statements or notes thereto.
(a)(3) Exhibits
Listed below are the exhibits which are filed as a part of this Report (according to the number assigned to them in Item 601 of Regulation S-K):
3 - Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws:
3.1
Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Amendment No. 5 to the Registrant's Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on May 24, 2018 (File No. 001-33982) (the “2018 Form 8-A”)).
3.2
Amended and Restated Bylaws of the Registrant, as amended effective April 9, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on April 10, 2018 (File No. 001-33982)).
3.3
Certificate of Designations of 8.0% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference Exhibit 3.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 26, 2020 (File No. 001-33982)).
4 - Instruments Defining the Rights of Securities Holders, including Indentures:
4.1
Form of Specimen certificate for shares of the Registrant's Series A common stock, par value $.01 per share (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the 2018 Form 8-A).
IV-1
4.2
Form of Specimen certificate for shares of the Registrant's Series B common stock, par value $.01 per share (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the 2018 Form 8-A).
4.3
Specimen Certificate for shares of 8.0% Series A Cumulative Redeemable Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Registration Statement on Form 8-A filed on August 27, 2020 (File No. 001-33982)).
4.4
Description of the Registrant’s Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.4 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed on February 26, 2021 (File No. 001-33982)(the “2020 Form 10-K”)).
4.5
The Registrant undertakes to furnish to the Securities and Exchange Commission, upon request, a copy of all instruments with respect to long-term debt not filed herewith.
10 - Material Contracts:
10.1
Liberty Interactive Corporation 2010 Incentive Plan (As Amended and Restated Effective November 7, 2011) (the “2010 Incentive Plan”) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.7 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended on September 30, 2011 filed on November 8, 2011 (File No. 001-33982)). +
10.2
Amendment to the 2010 Incentive Plan (effective August 5, 2013) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on From 10-Q for the quarterly period ended on September 30, 2013 filed on November 5, 2013 (File No. 001-33982)). +
10.3
Liberty Interactive Corporation 2012 Incentive Plan (Amended and Restated as of March 31, 2015) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended on March 31, 2015 filed on May 8, 2015 (File No. 001-33982)). +
10.4
Liberty Interactive Corporation 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Annex A to the Registrant’s Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed on July 8, 2016 (File No. 001-33982)). +
10.5
Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 filed on February 28, 2014 (File No. 001-33982) (the “Liberty 2013 Form 10-K”)). +
10.6
Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.14 to the Liberty 2013 Form 10-K). +
10.7
Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the 2007 Incentive Plan and the 2010 Incentive Plan [for certain designated award recipients] (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.19 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2009 filed on February 25, 2010 (File No. 001-33982)). +
10.8
Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant and its executive officers/directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.29 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011 filed on February 23, 2012 (File No. 001-33982)).
IV-2
10.9
Services Agreement, dated as of September 23, 2011, by and between Liberty Interactive Corporation and Liberty Media Corporation (as assignee of Starz (f/k/a Liberty Media Corporation)) (the “Services Agreement”) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to Post-Effective Amendment No. 1 to Starz’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on September 23, 2011 (File No. 333-171201)).
10.10
Indenture dated as of March 18, 2013 among QVC, Inc., the guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2013 filed on May 9, 2013 (File No. 333-184501)).
10.11
Form of the Indenture dated as of March 18, 2014 among QVC, Inc., the guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to QVC Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on April 30, 2014 (File No. 333-195586)).
10.12
Indenture dated as of August 21, 2014 among QVC, Inc., the guarantors party thereto and U.S. Bank National Association (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to QVC Inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 filed on October 10, 2014 (File No. 333-199254)).
10.13
Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of December 31, 2018, among QVC, Inc. and zulily, llc, as Borrowers, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Lead Arranger, Lead Bookrunner and Administrative Agent and the parties named therein as Lenders, Co-Bookrunners, Co-Syndication Agents and Co-Documentation Agents (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to QVC Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on January 4, 2019 (File No. 001-38654)).
10.14
Liberty Interactive Corporation Nonemployee Director Deferred Compensation Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended on March 31, 2015 filed on May 8, 2015 (File No. 001-33982)).+
10.15
zulily, inc. 2009 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to zulily, inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on October 8, 2013 (File No. 333-191617)). +
10.16
zulily, inc. 2013 Equity Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to Amendment No. 1 to zulily, inc.’s Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed on October 17, 2013 (File No. 333-191617)). +
10.17
Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.48 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015 filed on February 26, 2016 (File No. 001-33982) (the “Liberty 2015 Form 10-K”)). +
10.18
Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.49 to the Liberty 2015 Form 10-K). +
10.19
Form of 2017 Term Option Agreement under the 2016 Incentive Plan for Gregory B. Maffei (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 filed on November 9, 2017 (File No. 001-33982) (the “2017 Q3 Form 10-Q”)). +
10.20
Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement under the 2016 Incentive Plan for Nonemployee Directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the 2017 Q3 Form 10-Q). +
10.21
HSN, Inc. Second Amended and Restated 2008 Stock and Annual Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.13 to HSN, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 filed on February 20, 2014 (File No. 01-34061)). +
IV-3
10.22
HSN, Inc. 2017 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Annex A of HSN, Inc.’s 2017 Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed on April 10, 2017 (File No. 01-34061)). +
10.23
Letter Agreement between Liberty Interactive Corporation and Liberty Media Corporation relating to the Services Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.60 to Liberty Media Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2017 filed on February 28, 2018 (File No. 001-35707)).
10.24
Amendment, dated March 13, 2018, of certain Liberty Interactive Corporation incentive plans (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 file on May 10, 2018 (File No. 001-33982)).+
10.25
Tax Sharing Agreement, dated as of March 9, 2018, by and between Liberty Interactive Corporation and GCI Liberty, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to GCI Liberty, Inc’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on March 14, 2018 (File No. 001-38385) (the “GCI March Form 8-K”)).
10.26
Indemnification Agreement, dated as of March 9, 2018, by and among Liberty Interactive Corporation, GCI Liberty, Inc., Liberty Interactive LC and LV Bridge, LLC (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the GCI March Form 8-K).
10.27
Indenture, dated September 13, 2018, by and among QVC, Inc., Affiliate Investment, Inc., Affiliate Relations Holdings, Inc., AMI 2, Inc., ER Marks, Inc., QVC Global Holdings I, Inc., QVC Global Holdings II, Inc., QVC Rocky Mount, Inc., QVC San Antonio, LLC and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to QVC, Inc.’s Form 8-A filed on September 13, 2018 (File No. 001-38654) (the “2018 QVC Form 8-A”)).
10.28
First Supplemental Indenture, dated September 13, 2018, by and among QVC, Inc., Affiliate Investment, Inc., Affiliate Relations Holdings, Inc., AMI 2, Inc., ER Marks, Inc., QVC Global Holdings I, Inc., QVC Global Holdings II, Inc., QVC Rocky Mount, Inc., QVC San Antonio, LLC and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the 2018 QVC Form 8-A).
10.29
Form of QVC, Inc. 6.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2067 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the 2018 QVC Form 8-A).
10.30
Second Supplemental Indenture, dated November 26, 2019, by and among QVC, Inc., Affiliate Investment, Inc., Affiliate Relations Holdings, Inc., AMI 2, Inc., ER Marks, Inc., QVC Global Holdings I, Inc., QVC Global Holdings II, Inc., QVC Rocky Mount, Inc., QVC San Antonio, LLC, QVC Deutschland GP, Inc., HSN, Inc., HSNi, LLC, HSN Holding LLC, AST Sub, Inc., Home Shopping Network En Espanol, L.L.C., Home Shopping Network En Espanol, L.P., H.O.T. Networks Holdings (Delaware) LLC, HSN of Nevada LLC, Ingenious Designs LLC, NLG Merger Corp., Ventana Television, Inc., and Ventana Television Holdings, Inc., as guarantors, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to QVC, Inc.’s Form 8-A filed on November 26, 2019 (File No. 001-38654) (the “2019 QVC Form 8-A”)).
10.31
Form of 6.250% Senior Secured Notes due 2068 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the 2019 QVC Form 8-A).
10.32
Form of Amended and Restated Indemnification Agreement between the Registrant and its executive officers/directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2019 filed on May 10, 2019 (File No. 001-33982)).
10.33
Form of First Amendment to Services Agreement, effective as of December 13, 2019, between Liberty Media Corporation and the Registrant, Liberty Broadband Corporation, GCI Liberty, Inc. and Liberty TripAdvisor Holdings, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.62 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed on February 26, 2020 (File No. 001-33982)).+
10.34
Executive Employment Agreement, dated effective as of December 13, 2019, between Liberty Media Corporation and Gregory B. Maffei (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to Liberty Media Corporation’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 19, 2019 (File No. 001-35707)). +
IV-4
10.35
Form of Annual Option Award Agreement between the Registrant and Gregory B. Maffei (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on December 19, 2019 (File No. 001-33982) (the “December 2019 Form 8-K”)). +
10.36
Form of Annual Performance-based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement between the Registrant and Gregory B. Maffei (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the December 2019 Form 8-K). +
10.37
Form of Upfront Award Agreement between the Registrant and Gregory B. Maffei under the Qurate Retail, Inc. 2016 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.5 to the December 2019 Form 8-K). +
10.38
Third Supplemental Indenture, dated February 4, 2020, by and among QVC, Inc., Affiliate Investment, Inc., Affiliate Relations Holdings, Inc., AMI 2, Inc., ER Marks, Inc., QVC Global Holdings I, Inc., QVC Global Holdings II, Inc., QVC Rocky Mount, Inc., QVC San Antonio, LLC, QVC Deutschland GP, Inc., HSN, Inc., HSNi, LLC, HSN Holding LLC, AST Sub, Inc., Home Shopping Network En Espanol, L.L.C., Home Shopping Network En Espanol, L.P., H.O.T. Networks Holdings (Delaware) LLC, HSN of Nevada LLC, Ingenious Designs LLC, NLG Merger Corp., Ventana Television, Inc., and Ventana Television Holdings, Inc., as guarantors, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to QVC Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K (File No. 001-38654) filed on February 4, 2020 (the “February 2020 Form 8-K”)).
10.39
Form of 4.75% Senior Secured Notes due 2027 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the February 2020 Form 8-K).
10.40
Qurate Retail, Inc. 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Annex A to the Registrant’s Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A filed on April 14, 2020 (File No. 001-33982)). +
10.41
Fourth Supplemental Indenture, dated August 20, 2020, by and among QVC, Inc., Affiliate Investment, Inc., Affiliate Relations Holdings, Inc., AMI 2, Inc., ER Marks, Inc., QVC Global Holdings I, Inc., QVC Global Holdings II, Inc., QVC Rocky Mount, Inc., QVC San Antonio, LLC, QVC Deutschland GP, Inc., HSN, Inc., HSNi, LLC, HSN Holding LLC, AST Sub, Inc., Home Shopping Network En Espanol, L.L.C., Home Shopping Network En Espanol, L.P., H.O.T. Networks Holdings (Delaware) LLC, HSN of Nevada LLC, Ingenious Designs LLC, NLG Merger Corp., Ventana Television, Inc., and Ventana Television Holdings, Inc., as guarantors, and U.S. Bank National Association, as trustee (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on August 20, 2020 (File No. 001-38654) (the “August 2020 Form 8-K”)).
10.42
Form of 4.375% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the August 2020 Form 8-K).
10.43
Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement under the Qurate Retail, Inc. 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time, for Nonemployee Directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.67 to the Registrant’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 filed on February 26, 2021 (File No. 001-33982)(the “2020 Form 10-K”)).+
10.44
Form of Restricted Stock Units Agreement under the Qurate Retail, Inc. 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time, for Nonemployee Directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.68 to the 2020 Form 10-K).+
10.45
Form of Nonqualified Stock Option Agreement under the Qurate Retail, Inc. 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time, for certain officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.69 to the 2020 Form 10-K).+
10.46
Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock Units Agreement under the Qurate Retail, Inc. 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended from time to time, for certain officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2021 filed on May 7, 2021 (File No. 001-33982) (the “March 2021 Form 10-Q”)).+
IV-5
10.47
Stock Exchange Agreement, dated June 3, 2021, among John C. Malone, Leslie A. Malone, The John C. Malone 1995 Revocable Trust, The Leslie A. Malone 1995 Revocable Trust, The Tracy M. Neal Trust A, The Evan D. Malone Trust A and the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on June 4, 2021 (File No. 001-33982) (the “June 2021 Form 8-K”)).
10.48
Stock Exchange Agreement, dated June 3, 2021, between Gregory B. Maffei and the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 to the June 2021 8-K).
10.49
Waiver Letter and Amendment of Employment Agreement, dated June 3, 2021, among Gregory B. Maffei, Liberty Media Corporation and the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.3 to the June 2021 Form 8-K).+
10.50
Restricted Share Award Agreement under the Qurate Retail, Inc. 2020 Omnibus Incentive Plan, as amended, dated as of June 3, 2021, by and between the Registrant and Gregory B. Maffei. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 to the June 2021 8-K).+
10.51
Employment Agreement, effective as of July 12, 2021, by and between David Rawlinson and the Registrant (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on July 13, 2021 (File No. 001-33982)).+
10.52
Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of October 27, 2021, among QVC, Inc., Zulily, LLC, QVC Global Corporate Holdings, LLC and Cornerstone Brands, Inc., as Borrowers, JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A., as Lead Arranger, Lead Bookrunner and Administrative Agent and the parties named therein as Lenders, Co-Bookrunners, Co-Syndication Agents and Co-Documentation Agents (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to QVC, Inc.’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed on October 28, 2021 (File No. 001-38654)).
10.53
SOFR Transition and Other Agreements, dated as of June 20, 2023, by and among QVC, Inc., QVC Global Corporate Holdings, LLC, and Cornerstone Brands, Inc., as Borrowers, and the other parties thereto, related to the Fifth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 filed on August 4, 2023 (File No. 001-33982)).
Subsidiaries of Qurate Retail, Inc.*
23.1
Consent of KPMG LLP.*
31.1
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d - 14(a) Certification.*
31.2
Rule 13a-14(a)/15d - 14(a) Certification.*
Section 1350 Certification.**
Qurate Retail, Inc. Policy for the Recovery of Erroneously Awarded Compensation*
99.1
Reconciliation of Qurate Retail, Inc. Net Assets and Net Earnings to Liberty Interactive LLC Net Assets and Net Earnings. **
101.INS
Inline XBRL Instance Document - the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document.*
101.SCH
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document.*
101.CAL
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Calculation Linkbase Document.*
101.LAB
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Label Linkbase Document.*
IV-6
101.PRE
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Presentation Linkbase Document.*
101.DEF
Inline XBRL Taxonomy Definition Document.*
Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101).*
* Filed herewith.
** Furnished herewith.
+ This document has been identified as a management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.