By James Wells
SYDNEY: Harvey Norman convincingly won the award for Best Retail Organisation of the Year at the inaugural Electrical Retailing Awards (ERAs) on Thursday night, judged by over 100 suppliers from around Australia.
Earlier in the evening, Harvey Norman was recognised for winning four state retailer of the year awards for stores located at Auburn (New South Wales), Enfield (South Australia), Darwin (Northern Territory) and Hobart (Tasmania).
Harvey Norman director and general manager – electrical, David Ackery, accepted the award on the group’s behalf.
"It is extremely humbling to win this award," Ackery said.
"To be voted by your business partners is a tremendous honour," he said.
Harvey Norman beat three other finalists in the category – New South Wales-based Narta member, Bing Lee, Retravision Australia and The Good Guys.
In judging this award, several suppliers commented that Harvey Norman had the industry’s best communication with suppliers, which complemented operational efficiencies from a large buying capacity.
This retailer’s educated and knowledgeable staff were complemented by tidy store layouts and product displays.
Suppliers said the retailer’s market dominance provided it with advertising strength that consistently positions the brand as a leader in small appliances, whitegoods, consumer electronics and information technology. Several judges commented that this retailer was “prepared for the future” and “on top of future trends”. One judge described the retailer as “strategically attacking emerging markets” which has led to "consistently increasing sales and a future technology focus".