Popular infomercials

1. Diet, weight, nutrition
2. Cosmetics, Care and Personal Care
3. Health & Fitness
4. Houseware & Appliances
5. Financial & Business Opportunities
6. Home & Garden
7. Sports & Outdoor Activities
8. Personal Development, Self-Help & Education
9. Electronics
10. Entertainment, Travel & Psychic
11. Music & Video
12. Automotive

Other salient points:

- 84% of Infomercial Shoppers are women while 72% are homeowners
- 63% of TV shoppers buy from 30-minute infomercials while 30% of buyers fall for the "And that's not all" inducement for an additional product.
- 50 million US households watch infomercials each week
- 15% of all homes have their TV sets on at 1am
- the average lifespan of an infomercial is 9-18 months
- for each unit sold on TV, four more will sell in retail.

30 min infomercials are generally cheaper to produce than "high-end" 30 sec commercial spots, and thanks to interactive technologies, infomercials can generate direct sales. The Direct Marketing Association predicts a five year growth rate for South African infomercials of 18.4%.