Mouse that roared (why Australian retailer Harvey Norman changed its mind about electronic commerce)

Citation

Craft, S. (2012), "Mouse that roared (why Australian retailer Harvey Norman changed its mind about electronic commerce)", Strategic Direction, Vol. 28 No. 3. https://doi.org/10.1108/sd.2012.05628caa.010

Mouse that roared (why Australian retailer Harvey Norman changed its mind about electronic commerce)

Article Type: Abstracts From: Strategic Direction, Volume 28, Issue 3

Craft S. and, Gambotto-Burke A.In the Black, September 2011, Vol. 81 Issue: 8, Start page: 67, No of pages: 5

Discusses the dramatic change of heart on the part of Australian retailer Harvey Norman to the effect that it was moving into online electronic commerce (e-commerce) following considerable effort on the part of Harvey Norman to resist following other retail giants into online shopping, labeling the move by buyers to cheaper international online retail outlets as “un-Australian“, and even petitioning the Australian Government to take appropriate action to defend against online purchases from these stores. Records that Harvey Norman’s campaign was met by a massive reaction by internet shoppers, and that this may partly explain the retailer’s decision to change its strategy. Argues that the answer may also lie in recent sales figures from some of the larger Australian retailers, that have witnessed large increases in sales generated through their e-commerce arms, where consumer electronics specialist JB Hi-Fi reports that online sales increased by 51 percent in the past financial year, while Woolworths reported a 63 percent surge in online sales for the 2011 financial year, compared with a 4.7 percent increase in sales across the board. Concludes that, at a time when consumer confidence remains sluggish and many retailers are under pressure, e-commerce offers the potential for substantial growth, albeit from a low base.Article type: ViewpointISSN: 0004-8631Reference: 40AS510

Keywords: Australia, Electronic commerce, Internet, Organizations, Retail trade, Retailing, Shopping