GENERAL MERCHANDISE NEWS
Harvey Norman, the Australian lifestyle, technology and home appliance retailer, has opened its first store in England at the Merry Hill shopping centre in the West Midlands.
The 57,000 square foot flagship offers a selection of luxury furniture, including sofas, dining sets, bedroom suites and mattresses, as well as an assortment of smaller items including kitchenware.
Also offering home appliances, technology, and entertainment items from brands such as Dyson, Shark, Apple, Samsung, LG, Miele and Sage, the space features dedicated areas for each product category, including a cooking appliance centre that has been specifically designed for Merry Hill.
Lachlan Roach, managing director of 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 news follows the announcement that the Hollywood Bowl entertainment experience has celebrated its one-year anniversary at the destination. Since opening, Hollywood Bowl has helped form a new leisure quarter at Merry Hill which has boosted footfall by 43%.
Graeme Jones, executive director at Sovereign Centros from CBRE, on behalf of Merry Hill,said: “The arrival of Harvey Norman exemplifies the transformation of Merry Hill over a number of years, going from a centre struggling with vacancy to one that is thriving.
“We went after Harvey Norman because they align perfectly with our catchment, and the West Midlands deserves a unique store of this calibre.”
Harvey Norman also operates two stores in Northern Ireland.