Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
 3 Months Ended 12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]        
Estimated return rates   16.30%hsni_RevenueRecognitionSalesReturnsPercentage 17.00%hsni_RevenueRecognitionSalesReturnsPercentage 17.80%hsni_RevenueRecognitionSalesReturnsPercentage
Breakage income from merchandise credits $ 5,000,000us-gaap_RevenueRecognitionGiftCardsBreakage $ 4,962,000us-gaap_RevenueRecognitionGiftCardsBreakage [1],[2]    
Collection period of receivables from customer, days   30 days    
Accounts receivable, net 317,785,000us-gaap_ReceivablesNetCurrent 317,785,000us-gaap_ReceivablesNetCurrent 265,115,000us-gaap_ReceivablesNetCurrent  
General and Administrative Costs in Inventory, Amount Remaining 6,000,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeCostsInInventoryAmountRemaining 6,000,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeCostsInInventoryAmountRemaining 6,000,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeCostsInInventoryAmountRemaining  
General and administrative cost in inventory 24,000,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeCostsInInventoryAmountIncurred 24,000,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeCostsInInventoryAmountIncurred 23,900,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeCostsInInventoryAmountIncurred 24,300,000us-gaap_GeneralAndAdministrativeCostsInInventoryAmountIncurred
Capitalized software costs, net of accumulated amortization 37,900,000us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareNet 37,900,000us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareNet 37,300,000us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareNet  
Amortization expense related to the capitalized software costs   18,300,000us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAmortization 15,100,000us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAmortization 12,700,000us-gaap_CapitalizedComputerSoftwareAmortization
Capitalized advertising costs 18,000,000us-gaap_PrepaidAdvertising 18,000,000us-gaap_PrepaidAdvertising 18,800,000us-gaap_PrepaidAdvertising  
Advertising expense   279,600,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense 268,000,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense 245,000,000us-gaap_AdvertisingExpense
Percentage of likeliness of income tax being realized   50.00%hsni_ProbabilityOfRealizationOfIncomeTaxUponSettlement    
Private Label Credit Card Sales, percent of sales   31.00%hsni_PrivateLabelCreditCardSalespercentofsales 28.00%hsni_PrivateLabelCreditCardSalespercentofsales 27.00%hsni_PrivateLabelCreditCardSalespercentofsales
private label credit card income   16,500,000hsni_Privatelabelcreditcardincome 12,800,000hsni_Privatelabelcreditcardincome 11,400,000hsni_Privatelabelcreditcardincome
Unmailed Catalogs [Member]        
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]        
Capitalized advertising costs $ 9,600,000us-gaap_PrepaidAdvertising
/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis
= us-gaap_ProductMember 		$ 9,600,000us-gaap_PrepaidAdvertising
/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis
= us-gaap_ProductMember 		$ 13,000,000us-gaap_PrepaidAdvertising
/ us-gaap_ProductOrServiceAxis
= us-gaap_ProductMember 		 
Minimum [Member]        
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]        
Number of interest-free monthly payments   2 months    
Maximum [Member]        
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]        
Number of interest-free monthly payments   6 months    
Maximum [Member] | Capitalized Software [Member]        
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]        
Estimated useful life   5 years    
[1] (b) Results for the year ended December 31, 2014 include a $3.1 million settlement with the Consumer Product Safety Commission ("CPSC").
[2] (a) Results for the year ended December 31, 2014 include $5.0 million of revenue related to the reversal of certain unused merchandise credits.