Harvey Norman urges suppliers to share in the gains

Harvey Norman’s general manager of major appliances, Chris Coen, used the final day of this year’s conference in Sydney to make an unusually blunt pitch to suppliers: the retailer wants them to make money as well.

Speaking alongside executive general manager for electrical Haydon Myers and general manager of small appliances Carly Scott, Coen framed the relationship between retailer and vendor as a partnership that must work commercially for both sides. He said Harvey Norma...

n would continue to negotiate firmly, but added that the aim was not for either side to “win” a discussion at the expense of the other, but for both to finish the year in a stronger position.

That emphasis on mutual gain sits neatly with Harvey Norman’s long-standing positioning as a house of brands. Coen said the company’s job was to present suppliers’ products properly, protect their value and ensure each brand had a clear role within a curated range. He also argued that the retailer’s physical footprint gives those brands a major stage, pointing to its network of 195 stores in Australia and its continuing programme of showroom investment.

Among the locations he highlighted were Chadstone, Marion, Townsville, Fyshwick, Osborne Park and Ballina, with Cannonvale having opened the previous Sunday and Knoxfield due to follow. Harvey Norman’s annual report for 2025 likewise describes ongoing refits and store improvements as part of its wider retail strategy, while the company’s Townsville store page independently confirms the retailer’s presence in that market.

Coen said the business was still looking for new opportunities to expand and upgrade its property portfolio, insisting that new stores and refurbishments were more than routine maintenance. In his telling, they are part of how brands gain better presentation, stronger visibility and a more compelling platform in front of shoppers.

Trust and integrity were also central to his message. Coen said Harvey Norman would continue to rely on due diligence, but that its word and a handshake should still carry weight. He said the retailer intended to keep prioritising relationships at every level of the business, from executives and merchants through to proprietors, salespeople and support teams.

The remarks also reflected the commercial mechanics of Harvey Norman’s supplier model. The company’s commercial partner information page says franchisees receive financial incentive arrangements from certain suppliers whose products are sold under specified brands, including AEG, Asko, Fisher & Paykel, Liebherr, Miele, NEFF, Smeg and Zip Water. That disclosure underlines how closely supplier ties are woven into the group’s business model, even if Coen’s conference remarks were focused more on partnership than structure.

Coen also urged suppliers to keep investing in research and development, new product generation and co-operative marketing. In his view, those investments drive launches, deepen consumer appeal and help lift average selling prices, bringing more value back into the market. He said Harvey Norman would continue to launch innovation to Australian shoppers in a way that delivers strong returns for technology and for the brands behind it.

The broader context is a retailer that sees itself not simply as a sales channel, but as an active commercial partner in product development, brand building and market education. According to conference material from Harvey Norman’s supplier events, the group has long used such gatherings to connect proprietors with products and strengthen business relationships. Coen’s speech suggested that, despite the hard edges of retail negotiation, the company wants suppliers to see those relationships as central to growth rather than merely transactional.

Source: Noah Wire Services