QVC, the world’s largest electronic retailer, and Italy’s Vicenza Trade Fair have joined forces to create the largest, broadest merchandising opportunity Italian jewelry has ever had in the U.S., says Carlo Dolcetta, chairman of the Vicenza Trade Fair Board. The effort also will expand QVC’s share of the U.S. jewelry market and could bring major jewelry trade shows – long the domain of retailers and suppliers – into 60 million U.S. households.
The centerpiece of the joint effort is QVC’s “International Jewelry Fair” broadcasts. The first three programs this year showcased Italian jewelry and each of the three major jewelry trade fairs in Vicenza. Negotiations are under way for future broadcasts featuring international jewelry shows in Basel, Switzerland, and Hong Kong, says John Calnon, QVC’s vice president of jewelry merchandising.
Talks between QVC and the fair be