Australian retailer Harvey Norman looking to open five new stores in West Midlands, as Dudley branch celebrates first anniversary

The company, which sells furnishings, homewares and technology, opened its first UK store at the Merry Hill centre a year ago. It is celebrating the milestone by launching competition for customers to 'win a room'.

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Managing director Lachlan Roach said the store had been so successful that the company had located its UK head office in the region, and planned to open a second store in Sutton Coldfield during the first half of next year, creating 60 jobs. 

He said the company would then look to open a further four or five stores across the West Midlands, creating scores more jobs. 

But the company ruled out taking over the empty Marks & Spencer building in Wolverhampton, saying it was too small for its needs.

Mr Roach said the Merry Hill store had been a great success, and to mark its first anniversary at the Brierley Hill shopping complex the branch would be holding free-to-enter competitions where the winners would have entire rooms of their homes kitted out.

"It's really exciting," he said. "The Merry Hill store has performed very well, in line with our projections, and our commercial real-estate is now looking for more sites.

"In the West Midlands we are looking at four or five towns where we would like to open stores."

The 100,000 sq ft Merry Hill branch opened at the former Debenhams unit, which had been closed since 2021.

Harvey Norman has more than 300 stores in eight countries.

Merry Hill bosses said the new store had been a huge coup, having transformed the empty unit.

They said it was proof that the centre was now thriving, having turned around its fortunes over the past few years.

This week,, visitors to the Merry Hill branch will get the chance to win a dream bedroom, featuring an Ottoman bed frame, motion mattress and protector, and Tempur pillows.

Next week the draw will be for a home office, featuring an ASUS Vivobook laptop computer, an Acer Nitro monitor, a Galaxy S25 smartphone, a Galaxy smartwatch and an HP Smart Tank Printer.

For the final week in November, the store will be giving away a 'connected living room', featuring a Hisense 55in QLED television, a Hisense soundbar, a Woodland coffee table, and a Lilly four-seater sofa.

Star Comment:

It is refreshing to bring good news in retailing, especially from a department store. 

There is much doom and gloom around, especially since the closure of Marks & Spencer’s flagship store in Wolverhampton as well, of course, as much missed names like Beatties and Debenhams.

But Primark proves that the concept can still work. And today we bring you news of plans by Harvey Norman to create more department stores across the wider West Midlands.

It says it has been heartened by its first year at Merry Hill shopping centre and has its sights on another four or five stores in the region.

That is great news for those who like to physically browse before they buy, and will create hundreds of jobs. More importantly, it shows there is still confidence in the concept of bricks and mortar retailing.