DIALING FOR DOLLARS: For Better or Worse, TV Shoppers Turn Out to be Normal

Why do people buy things through those home-shopping TV networks? It’s not primarily a matter of convenience, contrary to what you might suppose. A consumer survey by New York-based WSL Marketing finds price is the main element. ‘Nearly half of TV channel shoppers believe they saved about 40% over retail,’ according to WSL’s study. ‘After price, impulse drove 27% of purchases, followed by ease of ordering (12%) and quality of the goods (11%).’ And are home shoppers the trailer trash they’re often assumed to be? Not at all.