TV shopping giant QVC has launched the UK’s first dedicated beauty channel.

The Beauty Channel, on the Sky platform, went live on September 15 and sells everything from face creams and make-up to perfume. Beauty is one of QVC’s highest sales drivers; it sells high-profile brands including L’Occitane, Liz Earle and Décleor.

Chief executive Steve Hoffman said: “We sometimes sell 100,000 units of certain beauty products in one day. Beauty and jewellery are neck and neck as our best-sellers.”

QVC, which celebrates its 15th birthday in the UK next month, reported sales of£352.6 million for the last calendar year. It reaches 21.9 million UK homes.

Hoffman said that QVC had begun to be affected by the credit crunch. “We are feeling it,” he said. “But we are still generating sales growth – it is just a bit softer in certain areas.”

He added that QVC was somewhat sheltered from the most severe effects of the downturn, because its average customer was over 50 and less exposed to mortgage hikes or rising family costs. He hoped rising fuel prices would have a positive effect on sales as customers shop from home more, instead of driving to the high street or shopping centres.