I only buy stuff at Harvey Norman is when it is on special, because sometimes the specials are genuine and below competitors prices. But mostly Harveys is more expensive than anywhere else. I looked at their laptops earlier in the year but got a better deal at JB Hi-Fi. Their mattresses last year were horrendously expensive, and I got a better deal on a very good mattress at OMF.
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At least in Australia, HN is as much a property business as it is retail - itās one of the reasons why it has continued to thrive regardless of haphazard sales performance.
Not to mention itās a store that still often relies (at least moreso than its competitors) on old school retail haggling - several departments price stock above RRP and will happily knock hundreds of dollars off if a customer haggles with them.
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Not sure why this is being reported as a new change, but, nevertheless, I agree with the opinions expressed that the relocation of the checkouts to the centre of the store is a huge negative. KMart now require a security person to check through bags that you just purchased.
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Because theyāre so obsessed with machine sorting that it will end up somewhere where it shouldnāt.
Saw this in action a month or so ago when I went to K-Mart in Morley (Perth, WA). I donāt like this new set up. The checkouts at the exit made so much easier. A few other people complained to the store manager,stuck_out_tongue: but hey vote with your feet, I reckon. Donāt shop there, as I wonāt be. 
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I just visited a Kmart that has this set-up now, for the first time this week and it just looked weird. I had to go backwards into the store to find the cashiers.
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The three stores in Canberra all have a different setup.
Of the two recently refurbed stores, one has self serve and staffed checkouts at the entrance, while the other has self serve at the entrance and staffed checkouts in the middle of the store.
The third store opened in the last year or so, and has self serve and staffed checkouts in the middle of the store.
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This ānew changeā is now at least 3 years old.
No big deal considering theyāve always had a greeter / bag checker at the door prior to the setup. The only problem is if you select no to a receipt on the self serveā¦
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I thought it was much older than what they said. So far Iāve only been to the one store in Hobart with the change and Iām not a fan. Ours hasnāt changed at all which is good but there is certainly less range than what there used to be. Nightlife where I am used to consist of Maccas and Kmart as they were both open until midnight but now Kmart just isnāt like it used to be.
Was going to say this format has been around for ages and isnt new. This issue does pop its head up everytime a new store is refurbed [I saw the Morley complaints too] but surrounding stores like Mirrabooka, Warwick and Innaloo have been this way for a long time now. [Although Innaloo does have checkouts at the front as well as the middle but I believe they were one of the first stores in Perth to change.
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I donāt think Iāve ever been asked if I wanted a receipt at Kmartās self checkouts - it always prints one.
If KMart is anything like Coles or Woolies, I would keep those receipts anyways. Thereās always a good coupon. Itās how I fund my alcoholism.
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meh i just walk out. iāve paid and done nothing wrong. i have no legal obligaton to show them anything so i donāt. it started when i was at kmart with my (than) 2 year old who was tantruming and the door chick wanted to check my bags on the way out. i told her to rack off
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Anarchist. 
The ādoor chickā will undoubtedly instigate an immediate company wide review of that policy based on such feedback.
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Queensland has moved to ban plastic bags and will also set up a cash-for-cans system, akin to those already in place in South Australia and the Northern Territory. The move passed with bipartisan support.
There will still be thin plastic bags for the fruit and vegetable, so customers can just tear off an extra couple and put them in their pocket. It happens in the ACT now.
ā¦or pay 15c for the reusable ones that your groceries wonāt fall straight through.
That soundsā¦ dumb.
Another tactic which I learnt in Europe is to only have one or two big bins around the house rather than a whole bunch of small ones. End up using far less plastic bags. Taking an extra 5 seconds to check whether packaging is recyclable also lessens the need for bin liners, as you can simply buy a crate for beer and wine bottles and designate a large box to place other pieces of odd packaging in. On bin day, just chuck the contents of the box in recycling and save the box for the next week.
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No it doesnāt. The kitchen bin needs the same bin bag with daily replacement for foodscraps.
As for using boxes to put bottles inā¦thereās no need for the box even. Thatās not a solution. A box can only hygenically store dry bottles; those bottles can be placed near the bin and taken out each night in any case.
I hate how 2 second solutions are presented as an easy fix to this massive inconvenienceā¦fact is weāll all be forced to stuff the pockets of Gladā¦how ridiculous.