As Seen on TV & More: Gadget Goes to Florida

By Bruce Collier August 23, 2007 Issue

As Seen on TV & More is a store for those who enjoy late-night seduction. Specifically, the kind that comes over the television and ends with,“Wait! There’s more....” If you have ever watched and wondered whether that knife really can saw through your pipes and slice tomatoes for your BLT, this is where you come to find out. There are two As Seen on TV & More stores in this area — one at Uptown Station, the other at a nearby mall. Norman Moore, who owns both (along with silent partner Josh Fallon), met The Beachcomber at Uptown Station. This true variety store carries a host of items seen on commercials and infomercials, everything from fitness products to kitchen labor savers.

Moore is speaking to a local D.J. about a pending promotional. The radio will be be plugging the store, and Moore has given away some Eagle Eyes sunglasses as goodies for the station employees. Moore finishes up, and then plucks two folding chairs from the store’s floor to set up for an interview. “I don’t have an office,” he says.

The first part of the interview takes place behind a counter where Jessica Goodwin, one of the store’s employees, occasionally goes to pack up boxes for mailing. In addition to floor sales, As Seen on TV & More does online business, and takes phone orders. During Christmas season, says Moore, Goodwin takes as many as 100 boxes to the post office at a time. “They hate to see us coming,” he says, meaning the other postal patrons.

The business opened in October of 2005, first in the mall, then at Uptown Station. Moore is a Panhandle native, who comes from a marketing background that includes the insurance industry. He credits his 11-year-old daughter with the idea for the store. “I think people see the commercials, and they want to see, feel and touch it first.” Moore adds that he doesn’t take everything advertised on the air. “It has to actually work. If it doesn’t, we don’t sell it.” Product quality is determined partly by Moore’s own testing. “My house is filled with products” — and partly by the customers themselves. As Seen on TV & More has a simple refund policy, says Moore. “We do not upset a customer over a refund. It’s not worth it.”

The stock lines both sides of the rectangular store space. Displays at various points showcase related or themed items. Fitness gear is toward the front, with decorative and kids’ stuff on the other side. A comprehensive collection of Time-Life audio and video items has its own shelf, as do the Eagle Eyes shades. Moore offers a pair for a test-walk outside in the bright afternoon sun. He describes the product, one of his most popular, offering factoids and statistics with the low-key ease of a practiced salesman. Among the kitchen goods are blenders, slice-and-dicers, and the famous knives. There’s even a stock of — yes — Chia pets, including Chia Shrek.

Strategically situated throughout the stock are small television screens, on which can be played to order, the commercials to match the products. Though not every single item in the store is actually seen on TV (hence “& More”), it’s hard not to tick off the names as they line the walls in brightly colored boxes and bubble wrap. In the hall of fame are Urine Gone, Patch Perfect (grass seed that reportedly grows nearly anywhere), Hercules Hooks, Extreme Beam, Roll-n-Grow, Everlasting Flameless Candles, Ionic Smokeless Ashtrays, Wacky Wakers (alarm clocks), Be-Dazzlers, Blendy Pens, Hover Blimps, Moldable Moon Sand, Tater Mitts (for hot baked spuds), Bonzai Choppers, and Miracle Blade III, the third generation of cutlery for the home plumber/sandwich maker. There’s also “genetic response” fishing tackle, and a fitness DVD — one of many — offering “Yoga Booty Ballet.” There are about 700 items in all.

Moore says his customer base is broad. “We get everybody.” Christmas is the biggest season, and military personnel headed overseas are also apt to pay a visit for portable fitness gear and a buckwheat-filled pillow that reportedly resists allergens. A frequent customer is one who overhears a parent or spouse watching a commercial say, “That sounds good, I’d like to try that,” and comes in to see if it can be found.

Moore’s future plans include opening in two more locations, Destin and Panama City, by summer of 2008. The store’s website is also flourishing, and some items are almost impossible to keep in stock, says Moore.

“We don’t pay for the billions of dollars [spent] for TV ads, but we’re getting the benefit of it.”

As Seen on TV & More’s two locations are at 99 Eglin Parkway, Uptown Station, in Fort Walton Beach (243-2479) and Santa Rosa Mall (244-4546). The online address is www.onlineasseenontv.com.

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