Bid Shopping

Bid Shopping was the later trading name of Sit-Up Ltd., a British broadcaster and television-shopping operator established in 2000. Rather than being a conventional retail label, it was a portfolio business whose brands combined digital television, telephone ordering and online commerce. Its best-known channels sold consumer goods through live auction formats, including conventional bidding and auctions in which the advertised price fell over time. The business was aimed primarily at the United Kingdom and reached more than 12 million homes through satellite, cable and terrestrial digital television, as well as through the Internet. The company began broadcasting in October 2000 with Bid-Up.TV, described as the first UK television channel built around an auction-shopping format. In 2001, Sit-Up agreed to acquire Telewest's Screenshop teleshopping service. The transaction brought an established infomercial operation into the group and included a substantial Telewest investment and minority stake. Sit-Up subsequently expanded its portfolio with Price Drop TV, launched in 2003, using a falling-price model that became one of the group's defining formats. Screenshop continued to provide more conventional product presentations, including programming supplied by Vector Direct under a 2004 exclusive arrangement. In January 2005, Bid-Up.TV and Price-Drop.TV were renamed Bid TV and Price Drop TV. Sit-Up also experimented with non-shopping programming, launching the part-time movie services Matinee Movies and Bad Movies in April 2005 after earlier proposals for Real-movies.tv and Movies on 333 were overtaken by competing channel plans. Both movie services were sold within a year and were relaunched by their buyer under different names. Telewest announced its full acquisition of Sit-Up in 2005, but the company later changed ownership again when Aurelius AG acquired it from Virgin Media in 2009. The group continued to test new auction and digital-commerce concepts. It launched the online auction service dibbing.com in 2010 and later introduced the Pricedropper.co.uk web operation. In August 2011, the corporate identity changed to Bid Shopping, while the operating brands were simplified to Bid, Price Drop and Speed Auction. The portfolio was subsequently affected by regulatory scrutiny. The Advertising Standards Authority recorded numerous rulings concerning claims about prices and product descriptions, and in 2013 referred Sit-Up to Ofcom for consideration of statutory sanctions under the UK broadcast advertising code. By the end of 2013 and early 2014, the business was financially distressed. It changed ownership under restructuring lawyer Bryan Green, reported substantial losses and falling sales, and was reported to have significant debts while seeking an arrangement with creditors. Bid was converted into the more conventional Shop at Bid format in March 2014, apparently ending the principal auction presentation. On 17 April 2014, Bid Shopping entered administration. Shop at Bid and Price Drop closed immediately, with approximately 200 jobs affected. The intellectual property, brands, patents and domains were acquired from the administration in February 2015 by Grant Miller through Bid Shopping Limited. Plans were announced to revive Screenshop and Bid TV online and through television, but the proposed relaunch did not materialize. A Screenshop website returned in 2024 with further online ambitions, although no completed relaunch is documented in the supplied reference material. The original Bid Shopping television operation therefore remains defunct, while some associated intellectual property has had later revival attempts.

Sit-Up Ltd. was founded in 2000 and launched Bid-Up.TV on 5 October of that year. The service used television as an auction storefront, initially mixing live programming with recorded material overlaid with auction graphics. In March 2001, Sit-Up agreed to buy Telewest's Screenshop teleshopping service. The arrangement brought Screenshop into the Sit-Up operation and was accompanied by Telewest funding and a minority interest. A second Screenshop service appeared on Sky Digital in August 2002. Sit-Up expanded its auction portfolio with Price Drop TV in June 2003. Unlike a conventional auction, its central mechanism reduced the displayed price as the sale progressed. In 2004, Vector Direct obtained an exclusive arrangement to supply Screenshop programming and content shown during overnight periods on the auction channels. The relationship effectively gave Screenshop a more infomercial-oriented role within the group. The principal services were renamed in January 2005: Bid-Up.TV became Bid TV and Price-Drop.TV became Price Drop TV. Sit-Up also entered film broadcasting with Matinee Movies and Bad Movies, part-time services carried on Sky that combined film programming with shopping output during some hours. Both movie channels were sold to Dolphin Television in 2006 and continued under new identities without Sit-Up involvement. Telewest announced the full acquisition of Sit-Up in May 2005. Virgin Media later sold the business to Aurelius AG, with the transaction completing on 1 April 2009. The company pursued additional digital formats in the following years. It launched dibbing.com in September 2010 and operated Pricedropper.co.uk as an online-only auction or fixed-price service. On 1 August 2011, the company adopted the Bid Shopping identity, while its principal television brands became Bid, Price Drop and Speed Auction. Bid Plus, previously Speed Auction TV, used short rising-price auctions at launch and later adopted a falling-price model. It closed in July 2013. Screenshop 2 continued as an overnight service until April 2012. The business encountered growing regulatory and commercial difficulties. From January 2012, the Advertising Standards Authority issued numerous rulings against Sit-Up, chiefly concerning potentially misleading pricing claims and product descriptions. In May 2013, the ASA referred the company to Ofcom for possible statutory action under the broadcast advertising rules. By December 2013, Bryan Green had taken over the struggling group. Reports in early 2014 described significant losses, declining sales and heavy debt, alongside efforts to reach a voluntary arrangement with creditors. On 10 March 2014, Bid was renamed Shop at Bid and adopted a more conventional shopping-channel presentation. The premium-rate telephone number was replaced by a lower-cost number, and the auction format was reportedly removed or substantially reduced. The change did not stabilize the business. On 17 April 2014, Bid Shopping entered administration and Shop at Bid and Price Drop ceased broadcasting immediately, with around 200 jobs lost. In February 2015, Grant Miller acquired the company's intellectual property, patents, brands and domains through Bid Shopping Limited. The purchaser announced plans to revive Screenshop and Bid TV online and on television, but the proposed 2016 return did not occur and the related websites later went offline. Screenshop appeared again online in 2024 with stated relaunch intentions, although the supplied material does not establish that a functioning television or major commercial service resumed. Bid Shopping's original broadcast operation is consequently defunct.

1. 2015Assets sold to Bid Shopping Limited

   Grant Miller acquires key intellectual property and brand assets.

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2. 2014Administration and broadcast closure

   Bid Shopping enters administration and its principal channels close.

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3. 2011Bid Shopping name adopted

   The company and principal channel portfolio receive new Bid Shopping-era branding.

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4. 2009Sold to Aurelius

   Aurelius AG acquires Sit-Up from Virgin Media.

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5. 2005Core channels rebranded

   Bid-Up.TV and Price-Drop.TV become Bid TV and Price Drop TV; Telewest later announces its full acquisition of Sit-Up.

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6. 2003Price Drop TV launches

   The group launches a falling-price auction channel.

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7. 2001Screenshop acquired from Telewest

   Sit-Up agrees to acquire Telewest's Screenshop teleshopping service.

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8. 2000Bid-Up.TV launches

   Sit-Up launches its first auction-shopping television network in October.

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A mass-market British digital television retailer differentiated by live auction mechanics, especially falling-price auctions, supported by telephone ordering and online commerce.

• Bidtelevision shopping channel2000

  The principal auction-shopping channel, launched as Bid-Up.TV in October 2000 and successively renamed Bid TV, Bid and Shop at Bid. It sold general consumer merchandise through live television presentation and auction mechanics before adopting a more conventional retail format shortly before closure.

• Price Dropfalling-price television shopping channel2003

  A channel introduced in 2003 that specialized in auctions where the displayed price declined until a viewer purchased the item. It became one of Sit-Up's defining services and closed when Bid Shopping entered administration in April 2014.

• Bid Plustelevision shopping channel2005

  Originally launched as Speed Auction TV in 2005, this service initially used short rising-price auctions. From 2008 it moved to a falling-price format, later adopted the Speed Auction name and was renamed Bid Plus in 2013 before closing that year.

• Screenshopinfomercial shopping channel2001

  An infomercial-based service acquired from Telewest in 2001. Screenshop carried product presentations, including programming supplied by Vector Direct under an exclusive 2004 arrangement, and also filled overnight hours on Sit-Up's auction channels. A second service, Screenshop 2, operated until 2012.

• Matinee Moviespart-time film channel2005

  A daytime Sky channel launched in 2005 for family-oriented classic and unusual films, with presentations by Paul Ross and the film magazine programme Sprockets. The channel was sold to Dolphin Television and became Movies4Men in 2006.

• Bad Moviespart-time film channel2005

  An evening and overnight film service aimed at young adults and built around intentionally poor or obscure movies. It was sold alongside Matinee Movies in 2006 and relaunched by Dolphin Television under a different identity.

• Pricedropper.co.ukonline shopping service2010

  An online-only service launched in 2010 and positioned around fixed-price offers intended to compete with high-street retail. Its role changed as the group consolidated its web presence around Bid Plus.

• 2015Acquisition of Bid Shopping intellectual propertyM&A

  Following the 2014 administration, the group's brands and other intellectual property were available for acquisition.

  What changed. Grant Miller, through Bid Shopping Limited, acquired the intellectual property, patents, brands and domains of Sit-Up.

  Aftermath. A planned online and television revival did not materialize in the period described by the reference material.

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• 2014Bid converted to Shop at BidStrategy

  The company was under financial pressure and was seeking to move away from elements of its high-cost auction presentation.

  What changed. Bid was renamed Shop at Bid, its telephone number was changed to a lower-cost arrangement, and the channel adopted a more conventional shopping format.

  Aftermath. The change did not prevent administration; Shop at Bid and Price Drop closed on 17 April 2014.

  Source
• 2011Adoption of Bid Shopping portfolio brandingStrategy

  Sit-Up sought to simplify the identity of its expanding auction and online-shopping portfolio.

  What changed. The corporate trading name became Bid Shopping, while the main services were branded Bid, Price Drop and Speed Auction.

  Aftermath. The simplified portfolio remained in place until the business's administration and closure in 2014.

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• 2013Advertising-code breaches and Ofcom referralControversy

  The Advertising Standards Authority recorded 33 rulings against Sit-Up from January 2012, with recurring concerns about allegedly misleading price claims and product descriptions. In May 2013, the ASA referred Sit-Up to Ofcom for consideration of statutory sanctions under the UK Code of Broadcast Advertising.

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• 2015Intellectual property acquired after administration

  Grant Miller acquired Sit-Up's intellectual property, patents, brands and domains through Bid Shopping Limited.

  M&A
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• 2014Bid Shopping enters administration

  The company entered administration, closing Shop at Bid and Price Drop and affecting approximately 200 jobs.

  Bankruptcy
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• 2011Bid Shopping identity introduced

  Sit-Up adopted Bid Shopping as its corporate trading identity and renamed its principal services Bid, Price Drop and Speed Auction.

  Leadership changeOther
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• 2009Aurelius acquires Sit-Up from Virgin Media

  Virgin Media sold Sit-Up to Aurelius AG.

  M&A
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• 2005Telewest completes acquisition of Sit-Up

  Telewest announced the full purchase of Sit-Up, following its earlier investment in the business.

  M&A
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• 2003Price Drop TV launches

  Sit-Up introduced a second shopping network centered on a falling-price auction format.

  Product launch
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• 2001Telewest sells Screenshop service to Sit-Up

  Sit-Up agreed to acquire Telewest's Screenshop teleshopping service, strengthening its infomercial portfolio.

  M&A
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• 2000Sit-Up launches Bid-Up.TV

  Sit-Up began its British auction-shopping television operation with the launch of Bid-Up.TV.

  Product launch
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1. Bid Shopping