HARVEY Norman staff have been setting up the business’s products in the former IGA building in preparation for their opening, weeks after their building and stock burnt in a fire.
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The store in Townview opens at 9am on Tuesday for what franchisee Brad Sheppard describes a “soft launch”.
It means the business opens while many of its items still have to be replaced, but it’s not an official grand opening, Mr Sheppard said.
“We want to give everyone the best experience we can when we do open,” he said.
“The staff are obviously very excited and very pleased. Once we have all of everything here at 100 per cent we will begin advertising the grand opening.”
The Harvey Norman building in Miles Street was burnt and its goods destroyed in a fire in the early hours of Friday, February 3, causing millions of dollars of damage.
The two licensees, Brian Bower and Mr Sheppard, sought another short term location for Harvey Norman and considered the former Crazy Clarks shop in the central business district as the likely possibility.
They were confident enough of the position that they agreed to have a photograph in front of the store in Rodeo Drive for an article of their business reopening, on the condition it was not published until official confirmation.
However, the larger space in the empty store in Townview, between the Overlander Hotel and the new Gidgee Healing clinic, was decided on instead.
Mr Sheppard said that stock and shelving was arriving from Sydney this week. He hoped that the business would be almost at full capacity by Saturday.
He said the business aimed to return to the CBD.
Harvey Norman’s chief operating officer John Slack-Smith confirmed the former IGA building was a short term arrangement.
“While that’s going on we’re looking at both the building we were in that was destroyed by fire, and what our landlord is doing at that location.”
Mr Slack-Smith said the landlord was yet to confirm the condition of the Harvey Norman building, or the length of time it may take until it was restored.
He said the business was committed to the city.
He described both franchisees as “very good men”.
“We want to continue (in Mount Isa) and to do that we’ve got to support the local franchisees which is exactly the plan in place,” Mr Slack-Smith said.
