Harvey Norman has opened its first store on the UK mainland, at the Merry Hill shopping centre in West Midlands.
The retailer entered the UK market in 2015 with the first of two stores in Northern Ireland. It had already established a strong presence in Ireland.
Earlier this year Retail Gazette reported on the anticipated launch with a comment from Harvey Norman CEO Katie Page.
“With its exceptional connectivity and a population around the same size as New Zealand – where we have 42 stores – it’s clear that the West Midlands represents a significant growth opportunity for Harvey Norman,” Page said.
The new store features appliances, furniture and a range of smaller items, including kitchenware.
Lachlan Roach, MD at Harvey Norman UK, said “With over 300 stores in eight countries across the globe, it will be no surprise that we have been wanting to make our entrance to the English market for a while. The opportunity we had to open in a key national destination like Merry Hill was not one to miss, and it makes for the perfect home for our flagship location.
“We’re a customer-centric brand, and Merry Hill has a vibrant community, so we are thrilled to bring both our extensive range of lifestyle, technology, and entertainment products and the exceptional service that Harvey Norman is renowned for worldwide.”
The flagship store sits on premises previously occupied by department store Debenhams.
Harvey Norman operates overseas in Croatia, England, Ireland, Malaysia, New Zealand, Northern Ireland, Singapore and Slovenia.
