Several longtime QVC and HSN hosts announced their departures from the at-home shopping networks this week, as parent company Qurate Retail Group announced layoffs as part of a multiyear turnaround plan designed to bring the company back to profitability, reports the Philadelphia Business Journal.
In addition to West Chester-based QVC and HSN, Qurate owns online retailer Zulily and apparel lifestyle brands Ballard Designs, Frontgate, Grandin Road and Garnet Hill.
How many jobs were cut in the layoffs, and which QVC hosts and HSN hosts are leaving?
Qurate (NASDAQ: QRTEA) disclosed on Tuesday it was letting go roughly 400 employees in a round of layoffs as part of the turnaround plan known as "Project Athens." The layoffs impact QVC, HSN and its corporate shared services teams in the U.S. Longtime QVC on-air hosts Carolyn Gracie and Dan Hughes both took to Facebook to announce they are no longer with the network. Gracie called her departure from QVC after 19 years "bittersweet." She is known for hosting the QVC shows "Garden Party with Carolyn" and "Denim & Co." Hughes, who spent more than 30 years at QVC, also expressed appreciation for viewers in his announcement, saying "all good things must come to an end." Hughes hosted "The Great Outdoors with Dan," "Trending on Q," "At Home with Dan" and "Sunday Morning with Pat and Dan" with cohost Pat James DeMentri.
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For more on the details of Qurate's turnaround plan go to PBJ.com.
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