By Claire Reilly
Last month, Harvey Norman jumped into the world of online retailing with the launch of a dedicated sales channel on its website. Considering the strong presence of many of its competitors in the online sphere – including Appliances Online and JB Hi-Fi, which have both been selling online since 2005 – some commentators questioned whether the move was too little too late.
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While Harvey Norman was not the quickest to get into e-tailing, it is worth remembering that the company’s bricks and mortar offering has been a part of the Australian retail landscape since 1982. One thing to change over this time is Harvey Norman’s advertising which, based on the below advertisement from the 1980s, has advanced in leaps and bounds.
While Gerry Harvey wasn’t the first to go online, he may well have been the first to sell appliances and furniture with the help of silver goblets, disappearing blondes and world-class eyebrow dancing.