By Patrick Avenell

SYDNEY, NSW: Harvey Norman is currently expanding and refurbishing six of its existing stores as it looks to consolidate a national multi-brand presence. The recent acquisition of Clive Peeters has enabled Harvey Norman to offer at least one different store format in six of Australia’s eight States and Territories.

The six stores currently being expanded are Moore Park in New South Wales; Aspley, Bundaberg and Toowoomba in Queensland; and Marion and Munno Para in South Australia.

Harvey Norman further reports that the long-running development of the Springvale homemaker centre in Melbourne is due to open at the end of 2011. This complex is a joint venture with monolithic Swedish retailer Ikea. According to Harvey Norman, the planned 72,000 square metre footprint of this centre will make it the largest in Australia.

Furthermore, Harvey Norman expects to open its 13,500 square metre homemaker centre in Ballina, New South Wales, in June 2011.

The combination of new stores and increased store footprints with the acquired Clive Peeters and Rick Hart stores gives Clive Peeters a formidable presence in the Australian electrical and appliance retail market. With the Domayne and Joyce Mayne brands also in the Group’s portfolio, Harvey Norman has four brands operating in Queensland; three each in New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia; and two each in the Australian Capital Territory and Tasmania. Only the Northern Territory and South Australia have only one brand.