Australia's biggest advertiser Harvey Norman hit for 'capitalising' on the pandemic

Paige Murphy
By Paige Murphy | 24 March 2020
 

Australians on social media are calling for a boycott on the nation's biggest advertiser Harvey Norman.

Across Twitter, #boycottharveynorman has been trending as outrage at Harvey Norman and its owner Gerry Harvey for admitting to capitalising on the pandemic.

The retailer is facing backlash after the billionaire owner described the coronavirus outbreak as an "opportunity" during an interview on Nine's 60 Minutes.

Harvey says it is not like the Spanish Flu which killed 15 million people and that he isn't worried about the virus, despite being 80 years old.

He has come under fire in particular for "bragging" about the opportunity Harvey Norman has had to increase sales as panic buying continues.

“Our sales are up in Harvey Norman in Australia by 9% on last year. Our sales in freezers are up 300%. And what about air purifiers? Up 100%," he said during the interview.

Many across Twitter are vowing to never purchase anything from Harvey Norman again.

Harvey Norman is Australia's number one advertiser, spending an estimated $165.4 million in 2019.

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