By James Wells & Sarah Falson
SYDNEY: The concept of ‘One Retravision’ is a journey, according to the group’s national chairman who yesterday announced that the business will become ‘Retravision Three’, after being ‘Retravision Five’ just a few years ago.
Retravision Western will consist of Retravision WA as well as the South Australian and Northern Territory retailers that fall under its responsibility and previously traded as Retravision SA-NT.
Retravision Northern will refer to the Retravision Queensland stores as well as those stores north of the Hunter Region in New South Wales that were forced to migrate after Retravision NSW went into administration and receivership on 24 October, 2006.
Retravision Southern will consist of the stores which fell under the Retravision Victoria-Tasmania business as well as those stores located south of the Hunter region which were also forced to migrate after the collapse of Retravision NSW.
Retravision national CEO, Keith Perkin, told Current.com.au that the new three-pronged management is part of a strategy towards Retravision One.
"One Retravision is a journey – it is not going to happen overnight. With this, we are a step closer,” he said.
"As our chairman, Bill Harries said yesterday there is a much stronger alignment between the three companies. Three is better than four or five.
"The good thing from our perspective is that suppliers have now realised what’s done is done and we are moving forward. What we are demonstrating is that we have exciting plans to grow the business.”
Since former Retravision chairman, Ian Ray, addressed the Retravision conference titled ‘Beyond the Horizon’ at Hobart in 2005, Retravision has sought to become one entity, rather than various organisations working independently.
A year later, at the 2006 Retravision conference in Fiji, succeeding chairman Harries supported Ray’s address by announcing to the assembled delegates that the group “will be best served as a single united organisation”.
At that stage, the organisation was ‘Retravision Four’ with New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia, and Victoria-Tasmania stables present, with the first of these entering administration only a few months later, and consequently helping the group move closer to its ‘One Retravision’ goal.
When Current.com.au spoke with the only shareholder of both Retravision NSW and Retravision Queensland last year, when the NSW group’s administration was fresh, Grafton and Yamba Retravision store owner, Elton Cummings, re-inforced the ‘One Retravision’ theme that both Harries and Ray dreamed of.
“One less head office, with no CEO, office administration and advertising could be a good thing. It is a case of short term pain, long term gain,” he said.
According to Retravision NSW northern group chairman, Steve Carter, a pre-existing relationship with Retravision Queensland made it easier for his faction to form a relationship to source stock in the lead-up to Christmas.
"Retravision is split into states and also into regions based on television broadcasting footprints, based on marketing by television," Carter said last year, referring to the blurred border between Retravision NSW and Retravision Queensland.
“This moves us closer towards One Retravision and it makes perfect sense to eliminate one state company. Retravision WA has already bought South Australia, and if NSW goes, then we go from Retravision five to Retravision three. There are still a few hurdles, but at least we are heading in the right direction towards Retravision one.”