Basis of Presentation |
9 Months Ended |
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Sep. 30, 2020 | |
| Basis of Presentation [Abstract] | |
| Basis of Accounting | Basis of Presentation QVC, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries (unless otherwise indicated or required by the context, the terms "we," "our," "us," the "Company" and "QVC" refer to QVC, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries) 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 United States ("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. During the first quarter of 2019, the Company transitioned its televised Beauty iQ channel to QVC3 and Beauty iQ content was moved to a digital only platform. The Company's U.S. programming is also available on QVC.com and HSN.com, QVC's "U.S. websites"; applications via streaming video; Facebook Live, Roku, Apple TV, and Amazon Fire; mobile applications; social pages and over-the-air broadcasters.
QVC's digital platforms enable consumers to purchase goods offered on our televised programming, along with a wide assortment of products that are available only on our U.S. websites. QVC.com, HSN.com and our other digital platforms (including our mobile applications, social pages and others) are natural extensions of our business model, allowing customers to engage in our shopping experience wherever they are, with live or on-demand content customized to the device they are using. In addition to offering video content, our 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 QVC 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., our international businesses also engage customers via websites, mobile applications, and social pages. QVC's international business employs product sourcing teams who select products tailored to the interests of each local market.
The Company's Japanese operations ("QVC-Japan") are conducted through a joint venture with Mitsui & Co., LTD ("Mitsui"). QVC-Japan is owned 60% by the Company and 40% by Mitsui. The Company and Mitsui share in all profits and losses based on their respective ownership interests. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, QVC-Japan paid dividends to Mitsui of $46 million and $34 million, respectively.
The Company also has a joint venture with CNR Media Group, formerly known as China Broadcasting Corporation, a limited liability company owned by China National Radio (''CNR''). The Company owns a 49% interest in a CNR subsidiary, CNR Home Shopping Co., Ltd. (''CNRS''). CNRS operates a retail business in China through a shopping television channel with an associated website. This joint venture is accounted for as an equity method investment recorded as equity in income (losses) of investee in the condensed consolidated statements of operations.
The Company is an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of Qurate Retail, Inc. ("Qurate Retail") (Nasdaq: QRTEA and QRTEB), which owns interests in a broad range of digital commerce businesses, including Qurate Retail's other wholly-owned subsidiaries Zulily, LLC ("Zulily") and Cornerstone Brands, Inc. ("CBI"), as well as other minority investments. QVC is part of the Qurate Retail Group, formerly QVC Group, a portfolio of brands including QVC, HSN, Inc. ("HSN"), Zulily and CBI.
During each of the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, QVC and Zulily engaged in multiple transactions relating to sales, sourcing of merchandise, marketing initiatives and business advisory services. QVC allocated expenses of $6 million and $5 million to Zulily for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Zulily allocated expenses of $8 million and $7 million to QVC for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.
In September 2020, QVC and Zulily executed a Master Promissory Note ("Promissory Note") whereby Zulily may borrow up to $100 million at a variable interest rate equal to the LIBOR rate plus an applicable margin rate. The Promissory Note matures in September 2030. As of September 30, 2020, there were no borrowings on the Promissory Note.
During each of the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, QVC and CBI engaged in multiple transactions relating to personnel and business advisory services. QVC allocated expenses of $18 million and $20 million to CBI for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. CBI allocated expenses of $1 million to QVC for each of the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019. CBI also repaid a $29 million note receivable to QVC during the nine months ended September 30, 2019.
In December 2019, a new coronavirus disease ("COVID-19'") pandemic was reported to have surfaced in Wuhan, China and has subsequently spread across the globe, including all of the countries in which QVC operates. As a result of the spread of the virus, certain local governmental agencies have imposed travel restrictions, local quarantines or stay at home restrictions to contain the spread, which has caused a significant disruption to most sectors of the economy.
As a result of COVID-19, management has increased the amounts of certain estimated reserves including, but not limited to, uncollectible receivables and inventory obsolescence during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020. Other than these changes, management is not presently aware of any events or circumstances arising from the COVID-19 pandemic that would require the Company to update our estimates, judgments or revise the carrying value of our assets or liabilities. Management's estimates may change, however, as new events occur and additional information is obtained, and any such changes will be recognized in the consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from estimates, and any such differences may be material to our financial statements.
In July 2020, QVC implemented a planned workforce reduction. As part of the workforce reduction, QVC decided to eliminate live hours on QVC2 in the U.S. and other secondary channels within the various markets. As a result, QVC recorded $2 million and $18 million of severance expense during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, which is recorded in selling, general and administrative expense.
The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of QVC, Inc. and its majority-owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions were eliminated in consolidation.
The accompanying (a) condensed consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2019, which has been derived from audited financial statements, and (b) the interim unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("U.S. GAAP") for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X as promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation of the results for such periods have been included. The results of operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results for the full year. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto contained in QVC's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Estimates include, but are not limited to, sales returns, uncollectible receivables, inventory obsolescence, internally-developed software, valuation of acquired intangible assets and goodwill and income taxes.
Adoption of new accounting pronouncements
In August 2018, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles- Goodwill and Other- Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40), which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a hosting arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or obtain internal-use software. The Company prospectively adopted this new standard as of January 1, 2020 and it did not have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.
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