Sales continue to slow at retailer Harvey Norman after record trading during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Gerry Harvey-chaired company on Thursday reported a 45.7 per cent dip in pre-tax profit to $283.6 million for the six months to December 31. After tax, the bottom line profit was $202.8 million, down from $369.8 million. Profit derived from Australian franchisee payments, which represents approximately half of the group's profit, slumped almost 40 per cent amid a 14 per cent drop in revenue and a slight increase in expenses. The group's overseas retail segment, which unlike Australian stores is operated by the company and account for just over a quarter of total profit, suffered a 23.5 per cent dip in profit. Total system sales revenue, including franchisee sales, fell $334 million compared to the last six months of 2022. Sales experienced single-digit falls across all regions, except for growth market Malaysia, where sales rose 2.6 per cent.