Australia-owned multinational retailer, Harvey Norman, has announced plans to grow its UK and global footprint in 2024 with a string of investments across the UK’s West Midlands. The business’ expansion into the region – its chosen point of entry for the England marketplace – will begin with a new flagship store at Merry Hill shopping centre in Dudley, with plans to create around 100 jobs.
Established in 1982, Harvey Norman has rapidly expanded its global presence over the last 14 years, with over 300 stores worldwide across Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, Slovenia, Croatia, New Zealand, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. Its expansion into the West Midlands marks a major milestone on its international growth trajectory, driven by the region’s strong economy, unparalleled connectivity, availability of high grade retail space and skilled talent pool. In 2022, visitors to the West Midlands spent almost £4.4bn in the region’s retail sector.
In addition to their multimillion pound investment in the new Merry Hill store, set to open in autumn 2024, Harvey Norman is in advanced negotiations regarding additional investment opportunities across the West Midlands. The investment in Dudley will create around 100 new jobs across a range of areas, including sales, administration, marketing, operations, warehousing and management, with hundreds more jobs expected to be created across future West Midlands sites. The new employees will have the opportunity to benefit from Harvey Norman’s unique approach to professional and personal development, which focuses on encouraging every team member to realise their potential and play a part in shaping the business’ future.
The announcement follows the implementation of a new UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement last year, removing unnecessary barriers to the UK market for Australian businesses and strengthening trade ties between the two countries. During the 2022/23 financial year, the West Midlands achieved record FDI results. The region saw the greatest growth in FDI projects in the UK, surpassing London and outstripping the country’s average by fivefold.
Harvey Norman’s investment drive is being supported by the West Midlands Growth Company (WMGC) – the region’s official investment promotion agency – which is helping the business to identify possible investment sites, in conjunction with the West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) skills team. The last financial year saw WMGC achieving a record-high performance, with recorded projects representing an unprecedented 171% increase on the previous year.
Katie Page, CEO at Harvey Norman, said: “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. We have been in the UK for many years, with two stores in Northern Ireland.
“We look forward to opening our new Merry Hill store later this year and hope to announce further investments in the region over the coming months, so watch this space!”
Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said:“It’s wonderful news that Harvey Norman – a renowned retail brand – is expanding into England and even better news that its journey to our shores begins with a new store right here in our region at Merry Hill.
“Not only does this news mean we can look forward to an exciting addition to our region’s impressive retail offering, it also means we will see hundreds of jobs created for local people.
“I’m pleased to see that a firm of Harvey Norman’s stature has recognised all that we have to offer as an international business destination – including our diverse talent pool, central UK location and high-quality real estate. With the UK-Australia FTA now in force, I look forward to welcoming even more Australian businesses and entrepreneurs.”
Councillor Patrick Harley, Leader of Dudley Council, said: “As one of the world’s best-known retail names in lifestyle, technology and entertainment, we’re delighted that Harvey Norman has chosen Dudley as the location for their flagship England store. Located at the heart of the UK, Merry Hill has provided visitors with an exceptional retail, entertainment and dining experience for the last 30 years and this exciting new investment represents the perfect addition to its offering.”
