support gerry harvey, page-53

Surely the big retailers can only cover a smaller market offering compared to the thousands of products available on line. Maybe this debate (and the media) should try to narrow down exactly which online goods are overlapping with big retailer offerings, and where it will hurt big retailers most - the discussion might focus a little better then.

One thing that people will always pay more for is the goods being in stock (i need it now!). It's a calculated risk to have the goods available in a warehouse feeding local stores, this is where the currency fluctuations can hurt the retailer when comparing prices with same product on line that the retailer bought to stock 3 months ago with AUD and the consumer compares that to todays prices in other currencies.

My assumption is Harvey Norman is electronics, white goods and furniture - but there's more than these products being argued across this broad debate.

There is a returning trend of protectionism globally and one of the neat little tricks big manufacturers can play is sending a TV, washing machine - whatever you can think of - in two or three parts to an overseas localised warehouse / assembly plant where the government then waives import duties as its not complete goods (i suppose ours is GST). But the high AUD will kill this idea unless import duties and tarrifs creep back in.

We need to be a bit more clever than throwing money overseas.

I disagree that money saved on online items will be wisely spent into our economy - either the consumer will buy more of the commodity or a bigger and better model within same budget.