Ruslan Kogan
Encyclopedia
Ruslan Kogan is a serial entrepreneur, and founder and CEO of Kogan Technologies
.
Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,
He is Australia's richest person under the age of 30, with a personal wealth valued at $62million, according to the 2011 BRW Young Rich List.
Ruslan Kogan holds controversial views regarding the consumer technology industry. He has publicly expressed his opposition to the Australian Government's proposed internet filter. He was invited by Gizmodo
to write a guest post outlining his opposition to the filter. He was also the only executive from a consumer electronics vendor in Australia to campaign against the introduction of 3DTV into homes around the world.
Ruslan Kogan is the first Australian to register as a passenger on Richard Branson's
Virgin Galactic
sub-orbital spaceflight, having paid a deposit on the US$200,000 ticket.
Ruslan Kogan promised to release Australia’s first Android phone before delaying it at the last minute, saying "I can't make any further comment".
He grew up in the Elsternwick commission flats, and started working for himself at the age of ten by finding lost golf balls, cleaning them and selling them to golfers at Elsternwick Golf Course in Melbourne. He attended Melbourne High School before going on to complete a Bachelor of Business Systems (Information Technology) at Monash University
.
, Australia
. Ruslan revealed in October 2010 that there were many initial roadblocks; namely that Chinese factories would not deal with him, and his closest advisors and friends thought he was crazy for thinking people would buy TVs online. The company rapidly expanded to a broader range of products such as Digital Radios, GPS devices, Netbooks, Tablets, and Video Cameras, and in September 2011 began selling complementary products from a range of brands including Apple
, Canon
, Nikon
, Samsung
, Motorola
and more, claiming to be the cheapest option for consumers.
In October 2010 Ruslan Kogan revealed in an interview that he would be expanding the Kogan brand to the UK, following the successful launch of Milan Direct in the same year. In November 2010 Ruslan Kogan announced the opening of www.kogan.co.uk.
Ruslan Kogan appeared on the cover of the March/April 2011 Wealth Creator magazine. The story reported that the Kogan business is valued at over A$200million.
The company has grown to become one of Australia's fastest growing businesses in any industry.
have won the following awards:
After launching LivePrice in Australia, Kogan had sold nearly $330,000 worth of products using the new pricing system in 24 hours.
After being operational in Australia for under three weeks, LivePrice had resulted in over $370,000 of price deductions across the entire range.
LivePrice has a patent pending.
: “We are huge believers in cloud computing and open source software. The reasons are simple: open source software is usually faster, better and has more features.”
whether open source tablets such as Android would be able to topple Apple's
iPad
, he said:
"Apple has an amazing product, the user experience on the iPad is phenomenal...but with Google coming along and being an open source operating system that companies can easily load on tablet devices, and create devices that give you an excellent user experience as well, they're able to drive the cost down, and through our efficient business model and the way we make and create products, we were able to create in the UK...the first tablet for under 100 pounds. The market is definitely there."
launched a Chromium powered Laptop: "Maverick consumer electronics manufacturer Kogan has once again stolen a march on his big global rivals; launching a laptop in Australia running the open source version of Google's Chrome OS before companies like Samsung and Acer have brought their products to market."
and Currys
, claiming "...it’s extremely unfair for someone who shells out their hard-earned money on a new TV to be shafted on cables and accessories because of a deliberate misinformation campaign by the big retailers."
TechCrunch
said:
"One Australian retailer is fed up with their fellow electronics stores’ habit of trying to sell expensive cables with new TVs and computers, and has decided they’re going to show them by just giving the cables away."
Britain's Daily Mail
published responses from the targeted retailers:
"A spokesman for John Lewis said: ‘Each of our HDMI cables offers excellent quality and value for money, and by providing our customers with a range of different cables which offer different specifications we are able to help them find one to suit their specific needs, with features such as different cable lengths, ultra-slim and high-speed.’
A Currys spokesman added: ‘Our entry-level HDMI cable is currently on sale at £7.99 and our most expensive cable is at £100.99."
Speaking to the BBC
, Ruslan Kogan responded:
"I think it's a bit misleading what they've said. When it comes to durability, it's an HDMI cable that you'll use to connect your TV to a Blu-ray player, or a Playstation, or another device. You're not using it as a skipping rope or to go rock climbing with."
“Many economic commentators are today claiming that Australia is in a two speed economy – given the strong mining sector, and the purportedly slow retail sector. But Kogan is not an ordinary retailer – we are online only, and online retail is booming. Why do economists assume that online retail and traditional retail are married – grouping them together under the one family? If we have been grouped with traditional retailers, then we want a divorce!”
Speaking to MTR Radio, he said "We've got two very different types of retail going on in Australia at the moment. We've got the traditional retail and bricks and mortar and then on the other side we've got online retail. And online retail is steaming [ahead] and growing at a very, very fast pace. It's where all the innovation is, and we've got some great companies in Australia that are doing it really well, and they're experiencing huge growth month on month like Kogan is. The other side of retail is reporting a slowdown and I think it's a bit unfair the way the retail sector is being reported at the moment.
Business Magazine BRW noted the similarity of the "divorce" to a campaign by NAB
.
"We know we could hide behind our terms and conditions to get out of having to honour these transactions. But, we believe the bug in our website was entirely our responsibility, and as a result will be honouring every single purchase made this morning at a significant cost to our business."
The error cost the company nearly $50,000.
Ruslan Kogan and other leading retailers slammed the scheme for spending far too much. The program has an estimated cost of $308 million, at over $350 per installation. Ruslan Kogan said Kogan Technologies
would be able to deliver it for $50 million.
, Australia
, Ruslan Kogan revealed that he had been told 30% of Australian retailer JB Hi-Fi's revenue in 2010 had come from Apple
or Apple related products. He said this meant some of the country's biggest retailers were too reliant on the success of Apple
for their own survival.
Terry Smart, CEO of JB Hi-Fi, responded by saying "That figure is not even close to reality. We don't have a big enough supply that represents such a substantial part of the business."
In March 2011, Kogan began giving away free HDMI cables to anyone who had bought a TV from JB Hi-Fi in 2011. This was, Kogan said, a bit to expose that "JB are trying to trick people into thinking they need a $200 cable after buying a FULL HD TV. This is simply not the case."
In October 2011, Kogan took out a full page ad in Australia's biggest newspaper calling for JB Hi-Fi to change their slogan, "Always Cheapest Prices." JB Hi-Fi did not respond to the challenge.
, Founder of well-known Australian retailer Harvey Norman
.
The dispute about the future of consumer electronics retailing in Australia—and in particular whether Australians should shop online or in a bricks and mortar retailer, spilled onto the mainstream media on Today Tonight
and the Sydney Morning Herald.
The dispute erupted when Ruslan Kogan challenged Gerry Harvey
to a debate on national TV, which he declined. Ruslan Kogan claimed Gerry Harvey
"chickened out". Gerry Harvey
replied by calling Ruslan Kogan a "con" in an interview with a national newspaper.
Kogan
responded with two satirical advertisements, criticising Harvey Norman
.
Ruslan Kogan took another swing at Gerry Harvey when releasing Kogan's Q1 FY11 earnings, criticising Harvey Norman's purchase of Clive Peeters.
In December 2010 Gerry Harvey
announced plans to follow Myer
and open up an online store based in China in order to avoid GST and cut costs.
Ruslan Kogan responded by claiming that Harvey Norman and Myer were posturing to force the Government to change import laws, and that their China-based stores were a complete hoax.
He said that if Harvey Norman and Myer actually manage to open up their China-based online stores for three months, he would place a prominent link on kogan.com.au advertising his rival's store.
Ruslan was interviewed on Australian breakfast TV show Sunrise (TV program)
, saying Harvey Norman was "full of it."
He also published an article through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
lamenting the Australian business scene's focus on regulation rather than innovation.
when he came under fire for Harvey Norman
's alleged logging practices.
In a public statement, Ruslan Kogan said:
"Like him or hate him, Gerry Harvey is not a criminal – he should not be singled out for some supposed moral crime simply because he has complied with the law, and has sought Australian timber to use in his furniture. If anything, the use of Australian timber likely keeps more Australians in jobs, and puts bread on the table for many families."
Kogan Technologies
Kogan Technologies is an Australian manufacturer and retailer of consumer electronics devices. The company, founded in 2006 by Ruslan Kogan, sells products direct from Asia to customers in Australia and the United Kingdom....
.
Ruslan Kogan is also one of the founders of Milan Direct, an Australian and UK furniture retailer,
He is Australia's richest person under the age of 30, with a personal wealth valued at $62million, according to the 2011 BRW Young Rich List.
Ruslan Kogan holds controversial views regarding the consumer technology industry. He has publicly expressed his opposition to the Australian Government's proposed internet filter. He was invited by Gizmodo
Gizmodo
Gizmodo is a technology weblog about consumer electronics. It is part of the Gawker Media network run by Nick Denton and is known for its up-to-date coverage of the technology industry, along with topics as broad as design; architecture; space and science....
to write a guest post outlining his opposition to the filter. He was also the only executive from a consumer electronics vendor in Australia to campaign against the introduction of 3DTV into homes around the world.
Ruslan Kogan is the first Australian to register as a passenger on Richard Branson's
Richard Branson
Sir Richard Charles Nicholas Branson is an English business magnate, best known for his Virgin Group of more than 400 companies....
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic
Virgin Galactic is a company within Richard Branson's Virgin Group which plans to provide sub-orbital spaceflights to the paying public, along with suborbital space science missions and orbital launches of small satellites...
sub-orbital spaceflight, having paid a deposit on the US$200,000 ticket.
Ruslan Kogan promised to release Australia’s first Android phone before delaying it at the last minute, saying "I can't make any further comment".
Early Life
Ruslan Kogan was born to Russian Jewish parents, and moved with parents to Australia when he was 5 years old.He grew up in the Elsternwick commission flats, and started working for himself at the age of ten by finding lost golf balls, cleaning them and selling them to golfers at Elsternwick Golf Course in Melbourne. He attended Melbourne High School before going on to complete a Bachelor of Business Systems (Information Technology) at Monash University
Monash University
Monash University is a public university based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. Monash is a member of Australia's Group of Eight and the ASAIHL....
.
Starting Kogan
Ruslan Kogan left his job at Accenture in 2006, and started Kogan Technologies in 2006 from his parents' garage in MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
. Ruslan revealed in October 2010 that there were many initial roadblocks; namely that Chinese factories would not deal with him, and his closest advisors and friends thought he was crazy for thinking people would buy TVs online. The company rapidly expanded to a broader range of products such as Digital Radios, GPS devices, Netbooks, Tablets, and Video Cameras, and in September 2011 began selling complementary products from a range of brands including Apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
, Canon
Canon
-Culture and arts:*Canon , material that is considered to be genuine*Western canon, the books, music, and art that have been the most influential in shaping Western cultureMusic...
, Nikon
Nikon
, also known as just Nikon, is a multinational corporation headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, specializing in optics and imaging. Its products include cameras, binoculars, microscopes, measurement instruments, and the steppers used in the photolithography steps of semiconductor fabrication, of which...
, Samsung
Samsung
The Samsung Group is a South Korean multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Samsung Town, Seoul, South Korea...
, Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
and more, claiming to be the cheapest option for consumers.
In October 2010 Ruslan Kogan revealed in an interview that he would be expanding the Kogan brand to the UK, following the successful launch of Milan Direct in the same year. In November 2010 Ruslan Kogan announced the opening of www.kogan.co.uk.
Ruslan Kogan appeared on the cover of the March/April 2011 Wealth Creator magazine. The story reported that the Kogan business is valued at over A$200million.
The company has grown to become one of Australia's fastest growing businesses in any industry.
Awards
Ruslan Kogan and his company Kogan TechnologiesKogan Technologies
Kogan Technologies is an Australian manufacturer and retailer of consumer electronics devices. The company, founded in 2006 by Ruslan Kogan, sells products direct from Asia to customers in Australia and the United Kingdom....
have won the following awards:
- BRW 2011 Young Rich List with a reported wealth of $62 million, Australia's richest person under the age of 30.
- BRW 2011 Fast 100 at rank 27, ranking the fastest growing companies in Australia in any sector and any size.
- BRW 2010 Fast 100 at rank 15, ranking the fastest growing companies in Australia in any sector and any size.
- BRW 2009 Fast Starters list at rank 37
- BRW 2010 Fast Starters list at rank 17
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Southern Region Winner
- Virgin Australia Top Guns in Tech.
- BRW Young Rich List 2010 with a reported wealth of A$29M
- BRW Young Rich List 2009 with a reported wealth of A$15M
- The Age Top 100 most influential people in 2008
- T3 29th most influential person in the technology industry
- Anthill Top 30 under 30 entrepreneurs for 2010
- Australian Retailer's Association Retail Innovator of the Year 2010
Quotes
LivePrice
On 1 December 2010 he announced the launch of LivePrice, an invention that changes the way Kogan products are priced.After launching LivePrice in Australia, Kogan had sold nearly $330,000 worth of products using the new pricing system in 24 hours.
After being operational in Australia for under three weeks, LivePrice had resulted in over $370,000 of price deductions across the entire range.
LivePrice has a patent pending.
Open Source
Ruslan Kogan has been a strong believer in open source solutions for years, telling ComputerworldComputerworld
Computerworld is an IT magazine that provides information for senior IT leaders. It is published in many countries around the world under the same or similar names. Its publisher is International Data Group. Computerworld serves the needs of IT management via print and online...
: “We are huge believers in cloud computing and open source software. The reasons are simple: open source software is usually faster, better and has more features.”
Android
When asked by BloombergBloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg L.P. is an American privately held financial software, media, and data company. Bloomberg makes up one third of the $16 billion global financial data market with estimated revenue of $6.9 billion. Bloomberg L.P...
whether open source tablets such as Android would be able to topple Apple's
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
iPad
IPad
The iPad is a line of tablet computers designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc., primarily as a platform for audio-visual media including books, periodicals, movies, music, games, and web content. The iPad was introduced on January 27, 2010 by Apple's then-CEO Steve Jobs. Its size and...
, he said:
"Apple has an amazing product, the user experience on the iPad is phenomenal...but with Google coming along and being an open source operating system that companies can easily load on tablet devices, and create devices that give you an excellent user experience as well, they're able to drive the cost down, and through our efficient business model and the way we make and create products, we were able to create in the UK...the first tablet for under 100 pounds. The market is definitely there."
Chromium
On 3 June 2011 KoganKogan Technologies
Kogan Technologies is an Australian manufacturer and retailer of consumer electronics devices. The company, founded in 2006 by Ruslan Kogan, sells products direct from Asia to customers in Australia and the United Kingdom....
launched a Chromium powered Laptop: "Maverick consumer electronics manufacturer Kogan has once again stolen a march on his big global rivals; launching a laptop in Australia running the open source version of Google's Chrome OS before companies like Samsung and Acer have brought their products to market."
UK Cable Con
In July 2011 Kogan launched its 'Cut the Cable Con' Campaign in Britain, targeting John LewisJohn Lewis
John Lewis may refer to:* John Lewis Partnership, a United Kingdom worker co-operative retailer** John Lewis , a department store chain in the United Kingdom-Politics:...
and Currys
Currys
Currys is an electrical retailer in the United Kingdom and Ireland and is owned by Dixons Retail plc. It specialises in selling home electronics and household appliances, with 295 superstores and 73 high street stores...
, claiming "...it’s extremely unfair for someone who shells out their hard-earned money on a new TV to be shafted on cables and accessories because of a deliberate misinformation campaign by the big retailers."
TechCrunch
TechCrunch
TechCrunch is a web publication that offers technology news and analysis, as well as profiling of startup companies, products, and websites. It was founded by Michael Arrington in 2005, and was first published on June 11, 2005....
said:
"One Australian retailer is fed up with their fellow electronics stores’ habit of trying to sell expensive cables with new TVs and computers, and has decided they’re going to show them by just giving the cables away."
Britain's Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
published responses from the targeted retailers:
"A spokesman for John Lewis said: ‘Each of our HDMI cables offers excellent quality and value for money, and by providing our customers with a range of different cables which offer different specifications we are able to help them find one to suit their specific needs, with features such as different cable lengths, ultra-slim and high-speed.’
A Currys spokesman added: ‘Our entry-level HDMI cable is currently on sale at £7.99 and our most expensive cable is at £100.99."
Speaking to the BBC
BBC
The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...
, Ruslan Kogan responded:
"I think it's a bit misleading what they've said. When it comes to durability, it's an HDMI cable that you'll use to connect your TV to a Blu-ray player, or a Playstation, or another device. You're not using it as a skipping rope or to go rock climbing with."
Divorce from Traditional Retail
In August 2011 Ruslan Kogan announced his desire for online retailers to be viewed separately from traditional retail by economists:“Many economic commentators are today claiming that Australia is in a two speed economy – given the strong mining sector, and the purportedly slow retail sector. But Kogan is not an ordinary retailer – we are online only, and online retail is booming. Why do economists assume that online retail and traditional retail are married – grouping them together under the one family? If we have been grouped with traditional retailers, then we want a divorce!”
Speaking to MTR Radio, he said "We've got two very different types of retail going on in Australia at the moment. We've got the traditional retail and bricks and mortar and then on the other side we've got online retail. And online retail is steaming [ahead] and growing at a very, very fast pace. It's where all the innovation is, and we've got some great companies in Australia that are doing it really well, and they're experiencing huge growth month on month like Kogan is. The other side of retail is reporting a slowdown and I think it's a bit unfair the way the retail sector is being reported at the moment.
Business Magazine BRW noted the similarity of the "divorce" to a campaign by NAB
National Australia Bank
National Australia Bank is one of the four largest financial institutions in Australia in terms of market capitalisation and customers. NAB is ranked 17th largest bank in the world measured by market capitalisation...
.
Website Glitch
On 10 August 2011, Kogan's Australian Online store experienced a glitch allowing shoppers to incorrectly combine special promotions,. Ruslan Kogan claimed:"We know we could hide behind our terms and conditions to get out of having to honour these transactions. But, we believe the bug in our website was entirely our responsibility, and as a result will be honouring every single purchase made this morning at a significant cost to our business."
The error cost the company nearly $50,000.
Australian Government Set Top Box Scheme
In May 2011 the Australian Government announced a plan to provide Set Top Boxes to pensioners free of charge.Ruslan Kogan and other leading retailers slammed the scheme for spending far too much. The program has an estimated cost of $308 million, at over $350 per installation. Ruslan Kogan said Kogan Technologies
Kogan Technologies
Kogan Technologies is an Australian manufacturer and retailer of consumer electronics devices. The company, founded in 2006 by Ruslan Kogan, sells products direct from Asia to customers in Australia and the United Kingdom....
would be able to deliver it for $50 million.
Apple
At a technology media conference in QueenslandQueensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, Ruslan Kogan revealed that he had been told 30% of Australian retailer JB Hi-Fi's revenue in 2010 had come from Apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
or Apple related products. He said this meant some of the country's biggest retailers were too reliant on the success of Apple
Apple
The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family . It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits, and the most widely known of the many members of genus Malus that are used by humans. Apple grow on small, deciduous trees that blossom in the spring...
for their own survival.
Terry Smart, CEO of JB Hi-Fi, responded by saying "That figure is not even close to reality. We don't have a big enough supply that represents such a substantial part of the business."
JB Hi-Fi
Ruslan Kogan then bet Terry Smart, the CEO of JB Hi-Fi A$1,000,000 that they would not stock Apple hardware by 14 March 2014. The deed for the bet is still available online, though it has not been accepted.In March 2011, Kogan began giving away free HDMI cables to anyone who had bought a TV from JB Hi-Fi in 2011. This was, Kogan said, a bit to expose that "JB are trying to trick people into thinking they need a $200 cable after buying a FULL HD TV. This is simply not the case."
In October 2011, Kogan took out a full page ad in Australia's biggest newspaper calling for JB Hi-Fi to change their slogan, "Always Cheapest Prices." JB Hi-Fi did not respond to the challenge.
2010 Harvey Norman dispute
In August 2010 Ruslan Kogan began a "war of words" with Gerry HarveyGerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
, Founder of well-known Australian retailer Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
.
The dispute about the future of consumer electronics retailing in Australia—and in particular whether Australians should shop online or in a bricks and mortar retailer, spilled onto the mainstream media on Today Tonight
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
and the Sydney Morning Herald.
The dispute erupted when Ruslan Kogan challenged Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
to a debate on national TV, which he declined. Ruslan Kogan claimed Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
"chickened out". Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
replied by calling Ruslan Kogan a "con" in an interview with a national newspaper.
Kogan
Kogan Technologies
Kogan Technologies is an Australian manufacturer and retailer of consumer electronics devices. The company, founded in 2006 by Ruslan Kogan, sells products direct from Asia to customers in Australia and the United Kingdom....
responded with two satirical advertisements, criticising Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
.
Ruslan Kogan took another swing at Gerry Harvey when releasing Kogan's Q1 FY11 earnings, criticising Harvey Norman's purchase of Clive Peeters.
In December 2010 Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
announced plans to follow Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
and open up an online store based in China in order to avoid GST and cut costs.
Ruslan Kogan responded by claiming that Harvey Norman and Myer were posturing to force the Government to change import laws, and that their China-based stores were a complete hoax.
He said that if Harvey Norman and Myer actually manage to open up their China-based online stores for three months, he would place a prominent link on kogan.com.au advertising his rival's store.
Ruslan was interviewed on Australian breakfast TV show Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise
Sunrise is the instant at which the upper edge of the Sun appears above the horizon in the east. Sunrise should not be confused with dawn, which is the point at which the sky begins to lighten, some time before the sun itself appears, ending twilight...
, saying Harvey Norman was "full of it."
He also published an article through the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
lamenting the Australian business scene's focus on regulation rather than innovation.
2011 Harvey Defence
In July 2011, Ruslan Kogan came to the public defence of Gerry HarveyGerry Harvey
Gerry Harvey is an Australian entrepreneur best-known for being the executive chairman of Harvey Norman Holdings Ltd., a large company which runs Australian retail chain Harvey Norman...
when he came under fire for Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman
Harvey Norman is a large Australian-based retailer of electrical, computer, furniture, entertainment and bedding goods. It is effectively a franchise and the main brand owned by Harvey Norman Holdings Limited...
's alleged logging practices.
In a public statement, Ruslan Kogan said:
"Like him or hate him, Gerry Harvey is not a criminal – he should not be singled out for some supposed moral crime simply because he has complied with the law, and has sought Australian timber to use in his furniture. If anything, the use of Australian timber likely keeps more Australians in jobs, and puts bread on the table for many families."