Harvey Norman Online Store Coming Soon

I think 2010 is going to be the year that Harvey Norman finally launches an online store. The move to online retail is inevitable really, and should come as no surprise to anyone who regularly shops online.

Gerry Harvey has previously ignored the growing popularity of online shopping in Australia, but now it's time to jump on the bandwagon and join other national retailers, like Clive Peeters and JB Hi-Fi, and give consumers the option to shop online at Harvey Norman.

Harvey Norman is about to roll out a new retail system, and although there's no confirmation as yet when their online store will go live, I think they'll be pushing to launch in time for Christmas shopping later this year. According to the Google Retail Blog, by the end of August 2009, 44% of holiday shoppers had already started shopping, so launching a new online store in the third quarter this year would make a lot of sense.

If you take a look at the current Harvey Norman website, it almost resembles an online store already, all that's missing is an 'add to cart' button, delivery and payment info. Multiple categories and products are already listed online, including computing, TV, audio & gaming, portable electronics, home appliances, and furniture & bedding. They even have a useful product finder, that you can use to filter products by brand, size, and other attributes.

The online competition for Harvey Norman is going to be strong, along with Clive Peeters, JB Hi-Fi, WOW Sight & Sound, and Dick Smith, there are other online-only retail stores like Big Brown Box, selling a wide range of electrical appliances with free shipping.

Harvey Norman is coming late to the online shopping party, but with a well-known brand name, diverse product range, and national distribution network already in place, they should be able to build a strong online shopping presence in Australia.

Verified Store Pages: Harvey Norman, Dick Smith, WOW Sight & Sound, JB Hi-Fi, Clive Peeters, Big Brown Box