By Patrick Avenell

Harvey Norman is currently offering a $5 discount to all consumers who sign up for the company’s email newsletter. The discount can only be used on purchases made through Harvey Norman’s online store.

To be eligible for this $5 discount, subscribers must give Harvey Norman their full name, email address and postcode. The discount is only available on purchases worth $25 and over, and gift cards and iTunes vouchers are excluded.

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Harvey Norman will only validate the $5 discount if it is used within 48 hours of signing up for the newsletter. Financial enticements to join Harvey Norman’s mailing list is part of the company’s broad and undefined ‘Omnichannel’ approach to retail. This term is thought to encompass all forms of interaction, such as in-store, online, email and mobile, and then link them back to purchasing.

This newfound acceptance and encouragement of online purchasing and the nebulous omnichannel contrasts somewhat with chairman Gerry Harvey’s well publicised views on the issue.

“Whitegoods — refrigerators, washing machines, all that sort of thing — there’s no internet sales in the world to speak of,” Harvey said on ABC TV last year.

Harvey has also led the charge for the GST to be imposed upon overseas purchases worth less than $1,000.

Although he has become the unofficial spokesperson for traditional retail, Harvey has also overseen some advances in online retail, such as Harvey Norman Direct, which offers discounts on gaming titles shipped from overseas, and the deal of the day BIG BUYS website. Harvey Norman also has one of the best mobile websites in the industry, as Current.com.au’s special feature showed.

The Harvey Norman voucher sent to new subscribers (with the voucher code redacted in green).