Gerry Harvey says he will be at helm of Harvey Norman until he is 100

Outspoken Gerry Harvey says he will never retire and will live until at least the age of 100.

Harvey Norman has had a bumper year in sales because of the pandemic. Picture: Glenn Ferguson

Department store heavyweight Gerry Harvey claims he will live until at least 100 years old, insisting he has no plans in retiring from the Harvey Norman board anytime soon.

Answering shareholder questions at Harvey Norman’s annual general meeting, the 81-year-old put to bed any speculation the outspoken figure was considering a move into retirement.

“No … I saw my doctor the other day and he said I’ll live to 100,” Mr Harvey said.

In a separate statement lodged to the Australian Stock Exchange on Wednesday, Harvey Norman revealed a sales surge from July 1 to November 21, posting a 28.2 per cent sales revenue increase compared to the prior corresponding in 2019.

Gerry Harvey says he will live to at least 100 years old. Picture: Luke Marsden.

Comparable sales across all its Australian franchisee stores jumped 30.4 per cent over the period.

Harvey Norman said its pre-tax profits for the first quarter of its current financial year more than doubled, booking a figure of $341.11 million compared to $131.17 million recording in the prior year.

The major retailer has benefited from the surge in spending for household items during the coronavirus pandemic, particularly for home office, entertainment and appliance products.

Harvey Norman chief executive Katie Page said the shift to staying at home will having an ongoing influence on home lifestyle and technology product categories.

“The big change we have seen globally … is the psychology of people wanting to spend time with their families in their communities,” Ms Page said. “I don’t think I have seen a stronger time where people have had a reset because of Covid and I don’t think that is going to change any time in the future quickly.”

Harvey Norman chief executive Katie Page. Picture by Luke Marsden.

Despite the company benefiting from the sales sugar hit, Ms Page warned the uncertainty of the health crisis made it “virtually impossible” to implement a future strategy plan for the business.

But she did note the company is confident sales will remain robust over the next three months as Australian restrictions ease.

“As Australia opens up even more, we are very confident that the next three months … will continue to be a good time for our company.”

During the pandemic, Harvey Norman has received more than $2.3 million in collective JobKeeper payments, due to a number of individual franchises being able to meet the turnover threshold for the wage subsidy scheme.

Harvey Norman also confirmed its print advertising across News Corp, Nine and Australian Community Media will remain a core part of its promotion strategy.

Originally published as Gerry Harvey says he will be at helm of Harvey Norman until he is 100