The Vicinity Centre owned DFO portfolio sales continue to soar as Australians flock to DFO centres. The popularity of outlet centres are reflected in the sales which are up 5% across the portfolio.  This week Vicinity announced a refreshed DFO that will reflect the premium outlets positioning.

Australian and international customers continue to show their love for outlet shopping with the DFO portfolio now welcoming more than 17 million people every year across the country. This is an increase of more than 40% during the past eight years since Vicinity Centres first acquired the DFO brand. Maybe Australians are following the American trend where outlet centres are a booming industry.

Vicinity Centres DFO Regional General Manager Justin Blumfield said national and international tenant demand remained strong, with sales in apparel increasing by more than 12% in the past two years. 

“Outlet shopping is the fastest growing sector of the industry and we are seeing premium quality outlets delivering high levels of occupancy and income growth.” Blumfield said 

“We’ve worked hard to build outlet shopping as a destination in Australia and, with sales at DFO increasing by close to 70% in the past eight years, there’s an opportunity for significant growth to meet the continued demand from savvy consumers,” he said. 

The refreshed DFO logo and campaign style has been unveiled at five centres across Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane and will feature at the soon-to-be opened DFO Perth. This is part of a $2 million reinvestment in DFO, which included new signage across the portfolio and a national multi-channel advertising campaign. 

“We know DFO resonates with our customers as an affordable, designer and brand shopping destination and the refreshed logo and look has been designed to reflect that,” Blumfield said. 

Blumfield said DFO had evolved from a basic outlet centre to a destination with up to 70% off every day of the year appealing to customers looking for high-quality fashion at competitive prices. Now, more than a third of retailers have stock specifically for DFO including Coach, Michael Kors and Portmans. 

Vicinity Centres owns the DFO brand licence in Australia and operates DFO Brisbane, DFO Essendon, DFO Homebush, DFO Moorabbin and DFO South Wharf. DFO Perth will open in Spring 2018.