Myer's chief executive officer Bernie Brookes will continue fighting the GST loophole. Source: Herald Sun Source: Herald Sun

Myer chief Bernie Brookes, part of a high-profile coalition of retailers leading the charge, said he did not regret the campaign to pressure the Gillard Government to axe a GST-free threshold on imports under $1000.

But he conceded the group - which also includes David Jones, Harvey Norman and Target - would need to "work harder and louder" to get its message through to the public.

The department store boss also expressed concern that Harvey Norman chairman Gerry Harvey, one of the most vocal critics, had borne the brunt of"unfair and unjust criticism".

Mr Harvey and fellow retail baron Solomon Lew have copped a barrage of abuse, particularly through Twitter and Facebook, since the advertising spree began on Tuesday.

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The retailers argue there is an urgent need to address an "uneven playing field" because consumers don't pay GST or duty when buying online from overseas retailers.

Mr Harvey yesterday said he wouldn't retreat from the campaign, but admitted he would take a less public role.

"The problem with me doing it, or Solomon Lew doing it, is that we're (painted as) greedy, old billionaires trying to give people bad service in shops, give them no service, overcharge them, all this sort of stuff," he said.

His only regret was that "so many people" had misinterpreted his comments.

"All I've ever said is there's some offshore retailers that have an advantage over some onshore retailers. Nothing about internet retail in terms of people shopping," he said.

A Herald Sun poll of 10,976 readers found only 8.08 per cent supported Mr Harvey and 91.92 per cent did not.