Popular Culture Review Vol. 5, No. 1, February 1994 | Page 135

The Shopping Ritual:
Images of QVC
All audience men\bers--whether they make a
purchase and speak with the on-air hosts, only make
a purchase, or merely watch the sales banter and
dialogue-are aware that they are part of a national
ritual, a communal transaction shared by other
individuals, just like them, all over the country.
(Gumpert & E)rucker, 1992, p. 194)
Electronic home shopping networks are revolutionizing the
experience of shopping by transforming the shopping ritual from the
customary pattern of face-to-face social intera ction to a psychological
community facilitated through the media of communications
(Gumpert & Drucker, 1992). Traditionally, shopping has provided
the opportunity for individuals to socialize while exchanging goods
and services. Currently, home shopping channels extend this notion of
social interaction by creating the illusion of intimacy within a
community existing in electronic space (Gumpert & Drucker, 1992).
Electronic home shopping is currently a billion-dollar growth
industry. The increasing popularity of electronic home shopping
symbolizes the mass appeal of home shopping. It can be done in the
convenience and privacy of one’s own home while maintaining and
reinforcing values, ideals and beliefs already held by consumers. The
evolution of the shopping experience provides a way to examine one
area of social rituals, which are the least explored and understood
area of popular culture (Geist & Nachbar, 1983). Therefore, this
paper will first briefly examine the current history and functions of
shopping. The second section will discuss communication strategies
used by sales representatives on the (Quality, Value and Convenience
channel (QVC) which provide an extension of the traditional
shopping ritual to the context of home shopping networks. Finally,
the paper will explore how these strategies meet the needs of
audience members.