Direct Factory Outlet

Direct Factory Outlet was founded in 1997 by Liberty Oil founders David Goldberger and David Wieland. The first centre was opened at Moorabbin Airport in 1994.[https://web.archive.org/web/20221001084442/https://www.afr.com/companies/battle-of-the-titans-20040902-ka7uy Battle of the titans] Australian Financial Review 2 September 2004{{Cite web |url=http://www.realestatesource.com.au/ownership-of-15-billion-dfo-retail-chain-to-change.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110303021546/http://www.realestatesource.com.au/ownership-of-15-billion-dfo-retail-chain-to-change.html |archive-date=2011-03-03 |title=Ownership of 1.5 Billion DFO Retail Chain to Change |author=Pallisco, Marc |date=9 February 2010 |work=realestatesource.com.au |access-date=10 May 2010}} Other shareholders were property developer Geoff Porz and former Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chief Graeme Samuel through a blind trust. Valued at A$1.5 billion, in early 2010 the business was put up for sale with a number of retail investment funds expressing interest.{{cite news |url= http://www.smh.com.au/business/dfo-sale-signals-trusts-are-finally-turning-corner-20100425-tlp1.html |title=DFO sale signals trusts are finally turning corner |work=Sydney Morning Herald|author=Cummins, Carolyn |date=26 April 2010 |access-date=10 May 2010}}

DFO centres have traditionally been located around airports: a side effect of the Airports Act of 1996, the federal government has planning control over the land, meaning state planning legislation can be bypassed by developers.{{Cite web |url=http://www.insideretailing.com.au/Latest/tabid/53/ID/2688/PageID/2693/Factory-outlet-centres-go-from-strength-to-strength.aspx |title=Factory outlet centres go from strength to strength |date=21 April 2008 |work=Inside Retailing |access-date=10 May 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208063507/http://www.insideretailing.com.au/Latest/tabid/53/ID/2688/PageID/2693/Factory-outlet-centres-go-from-strength-to-strength.aspx |archive-date=8 December 2009 }} In addition the property developer is able to exploit the cost difference between retail and industrial rents, which gives outlet centre operators a distinct advantage over traditional shopping centres. A survey by The Age in 2007 found that in all three DFO-owned centres, most shops carried at least some full-price, current-season stock, available at normal shopping centres.{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/direct-factory-outrage/2007/10/26/1192941341894.html |title=Direct factory outrage |work=The Age|date=31 October 2007 |access-date=10 May 2010| location=Melbourne |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071028055259/http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/direct-factory-outrage/2007/10/26/1192941341894.html |archive-date=2007-10-28 }} By 2008 five legal challenges to DFO developments have been made by competing retail developers and the Shopping Centre Council of Australia, all being unsuccessful.

On 16 August 2010, lead bank Suncorp-Metway, along with St George Bank, National Australia Bank and Lloyds Banking Group, issued a notice to parent company Austexx demanding repayment within 24 hours of the A$450 million they are owed.{{cite news |url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/last-ditch-effort-to-save-dfo-shopping-empire/story-fn59niix-1225906554480 |title=Last-ditch effort to save DFO shopping empire |work=The Australian |author=Gluyas, Richard |date=18 August 2010|publisher=News Corp Australia |access-date=18 August 2010}} The South Wharf centre was under an A$500 million debt, with work on completing the centre stopped after workers placed bans over non-payment. Parent company Austexx was understood to have had total debts of A$1.2 billion, with the four relatively successful DFO sites used as cross-collateral for bank-funded expansion into five other less successful locations including Canberra, Cairns and Hobart. The group of banks appointed insolvency specialists KordaMentha as advisers, with the entire group facing receivership.{{cite web |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/money/money-matters/melbourne-dfo-faces-receivership-with-500m-debt/story-fn312ws8-1225906158548 |title=Melbourne DFO faces receivership with $500m debt |work=Herald Sun|date=17 August 2010 |author=Dunlevy, Maurice |publisher=Herald Sun |access-date=18 August 2010}} Negotiations continued until a deal was struck on 19 August, the four banks extending their funding to allow the South Wharf development to be completed. The ten DFO shopping complexes were then sold off separately to repay the $1 billion owed to the banks.{{cite news |url=http://www.theage.com.au/business/dfo-carveup-to-pay-banks-20100821-13a17.html |title=DFO carve-up to pay banks |work=The Age |author-link=Michael Bachelard |last=Bachelard |first=Michael |date=22 August 2010 |publisher=Fairfax Media|access-date=2022-03-15 |location=Melbourne }} In September 2010, CFS Retail acquired the Essendon, Homesbush and Moorabbin centres and a 50% shareholding in South Bank.[https://web.archive.org/web/20221001085655/https://www.afr.com/property/commercial/cfs-retail-raises-540m-for-dfos-20100925-iutgy CFS Retail raises $540m for DFOs] Australian Financial Review 24 September 2010 All four passed to Vicinity Centres when it merged with CFS Retail.[https://web.archive.org/web/20150807031814/http://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20150611/pdf/42z462d2724prp.pdf Merger of Novion Property Group and Federation Centres implemented] Novion 11 June 2015[https://web.archive.org/web/20220930210018/https://www.afr.com/property/new-federation-chief-faces-debt-headache-20151027-gkj9ls Federation reborn as Vicinity with new chief in place] Australian Financial Review 28 October 2015 Vicinity would acquire the Brisbane centre in May 2016.[https://web.archive.org/web/20160705061841/http://www.asx.com.au/asxpdf/20160523/pdf/437dqt5k8h6jt1.pdf Vicinity acquires strong performing Outlet Centre DFO Brisbane] Vicinity Centres 23 May 2016

File:DFO Brisbane 01.jpg in 2013]]

{{As of|2024|6}}, there were nine centres located in four states. Vicinity Centres have a 50% shareholding in two of centres, and 100% in another five.[https://www.vicinity.com.au/assets/sb/f/129601/x/6a880db545/fy24-annual-results-direct-portfolio-property-book.pdf Direct Portfolio Property Book June 2024] Vicinity Centres

DFO Brisbane is located at Brisbane Airport, about {{convert|13|km}} north-east of the Brisbane central business district. It opened in 2005. {{As of|2024|6}}, it has 134 tenants on {{convert|26,140|m2}} of gross lettable area (GLA).{{rp|26}} The centre was expanded in 2015, improving its connectivity with the nearby Skygate retail centre.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hutchinsonbuilders.com.au/projects/retail/dfo-connector |title=DFO Connector 4 & Multi-Deck Carpark |website=Hutchinson Builders |access-date=2025-02-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170301092603/https://www.hutchinsonbuilders.com.au/projects/retail/dfo-connector |archive-date=2017-03-01 |url-status=live}} It was acquired by Vicinity Centres in May 2016.

DFO Cairns is located at 274 Mulgrave Road, Westcourt. It is the only Direct Factory Outlet centre north of Brisbane. The centre is 3.7km south west of the Cairns CBD and approximately 8.4km south east of the Cairns Airport. It opened in 2008, as a redevelopment of the former Westcourt shopping plaza.{{Cite news |date=3 December 2008 |title=Direct Benefit |work=The Cairns Post |agency=News Limited |url=http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2008/12/03/18345_print-version.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091024043732/http://www.cairns.com.au/article/2008/12/03/18345_print-version.html |archive-date=24 October 2009}} The centre was purchased by Sentinel Property Group for $39.7 million in 2016.{{cite news |url=https://www.couriermail.com.au/business/sentinel-property-group-has-settled-on-the-purchase-of-dfo-cairns-after-it-was-oversubscribed-by-investors-in-just-24-hours/news-story/6c09c78f33c5b4b6f956e58f56e2041f |title=Sentinel Property Group has settled on the purchase of DFO Cairns after it was oversubscribed by investors in just 24 hours |first=Chris |last=Herde |date=2016-04-01 |work=The Courier-Mail|access-date=2025-02-05 }}

DFO Essendon is in the Melbourne suburb of Essendon Fields, approximately {{convert|11|km}} north of the Melbourne central business district. It opened in October 2005.{{rp|52}} On 21 February 2017, an aeroplane crashed into the centre. A Beechcraft Super King Air on a passenger charter flight bound for King Island, Tasmania crashed shortly after takeoff from nearby Essendon Airport with all five people aboard killed. As the crash occurred before the centre opened for the day, only staff were present, all of whom were accounted for.[https://web.archive.org/web/20170330102432/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-21/five-passenger-plane-crashes-near-melbournes-essendon-airport/8288964 Essendon crash: Five killed as plane plunges into shopping centre near Melbourne's Essendon Airport] ABC News 22 February 2017

DFO Homebush is located in Homebush, about {{convert|14|km}} west of the Sydney central business district. It opened in 2002. {{As of|2024|6}}, it has 123 tenants on {{convert|28,226|m2}} of gross lettable area (GLA).{{rp|15}} A court case ruled against an expansion proposal in 2006, determining that factory outlet centres did not align with state and local planning policies for industrial zones. This decision was supported by Strathfield Council, despite having approved the original development in 2000.{{cite news |url=https://www.smh.com.au/national/factory-shops-lose-retail-war-as-court-rejects-expansion-20060614-gdnqxh.html |title=Factory shops lose retail war as court rejects expansion |first=Sherrill |last=Nixon |date=2006-06-14 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald|access-date=2025-02-05 }} The centre underwent a major refurbishment from 2012 through 2014.[http://www.ancr.com.au/DFO_Homebush.pdf DFO Homebush] Australian National Construction Review

DFO Jindalee is located in the Brisbane suburb of Jindalee. It was constructed in 2007, and was sold by Austexx Group to Chin Yin in 2016 to be managed by Geon Property.{{Cite web|url = https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/news/brisbane-s-dfo-jindalee-bagged-for-46-6-million|title =

Brisbane's DFO Jindalee bagged for $46.6 million|website = Property Council of Australia|date = 2022-03-08|access-date = 2022-12-10|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230711015522/https://www.propertycouncil.com.au/news/brisbane-s-dfo-jindalee-bagged-for-46-6-million|archive-date = 2023-07-11|url-status = live}}{{Cite web |url=https://geonproperty.com.au/management/dfo-jindalee/ |title=DFO Jindalee |website=Geon Property |access-date=2022-07-24 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210804015326/https://geonproperty.com.au/management/dfo-jindalee/ |archive-date=2021-08-04 |url-status=live}} It is one of two DFO centres that Vicinity Centres has no ownership in, the other being in Cairns. The centre underwent a major refurbishment from 2019 through 2021.{{Cite web|url = https://centenarytoday.com.au/dfo-jindalee-stage-2-completed/|title = DFO Jindalee Stage 2 Completed with 60 Retailers, New Cinema and Fresh Markets|website = Centenary Today|access-date = 2022-07-24|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20220318193352/https://centenarytoday.com.au/dfo-jindalee-stage-2-completed/|archive-date = 2022-03-18|url-status = live}} The refurbishment expanded its GLA to {{convert|16,485|m2}}, and also included a new Reading Cinemas theatre.[https://dfojindalee.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/DFO-Jindalee-Leasing-Brochure-V9-1.pdf A fresh vision for DFO Jindalee] Chin Yin Pty Ltd

DFO Moorabbin is in Cheltenham, about {{convert|20|km}} south-east of the Melbourne central business district. Originally Fairways Leisure Market, the centre opened in 1994 on land adjacent to Moorabbin Airport. In 1997 the centre was purchased by the Austexx Group as the group's first DFO shopping centre.{{cite web |url= http://www.realestatesource.com.au/ownership-of-15-billion-dfo-retail-chain-to-change.html |title=Ownership of 1.5 Billion DFO Retail Chain to Change |last=Pallisco |first=Marc |date=2010-02-09 |work=realestatesource.com.au |access-date=30 May 2011 }} The centre had approximately 45 stores on {{convert|8,000|m2}}.{{cite web |url= http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/05/01/1083224643861.html |title=Centres feel left out of discount boom |last=Khadem |first=Nassim |date=2004-05-02 |work=The Age |access-date=2012-10-29 }} Since opening, the centre has expanded to {{convert|24,406|m2}}.{{rp|53}}

DFO Perth is situated at Perth Airport, approximately {{convert|12|km}} east of the Perth central business district.{{cite web |title=Direct Factory Outlet (DFO Perth) |year=2022 |website=Georgiou Group|url= https://www.georgiou.com.au/project/direct-factory-outlet-dfo-perth/ |access-date=2022-03-15 }} The shopping centre opened on 3 October 2018 with 113 retail outlets and 1,500 parking bays.{{cite news |url=https://www.perthnow.com.au/business/retail/perths-new-dfo-what-you-need-to-know-about-opening-day-ng-b88978798z |title=Perth's new DFO: What you need to know about opening day |first=Trevor |last=Paddenburg |date=2018-10-02 |work=PerthNow|access-date=2022-03-15 }} Vicinity has a 50% shareholding with the remainder owned by Perth Airport Development Group Investments. It has 111 tenants on {{convert|23,469|m2}} of GLA.{{rp|66}} It opened in 2018.

DFO South Wharf is located in South Wharf, about {{convert|2|km}} south-west of the Melbourne central business district. It opened in 2009, after moving from its previous location on Spencer Street.{{Cite web|url = https://www.investsmart.com.au/investment-news/spencer-street-dfo-moving-to-south-wharf/7717 |title = Spencer Street DFO moving to South Wharf |website = InvestSMART|access-date = 2025-02-05}} The former site has since remained an outlet centre, now known as the Spencer Outlet Centre. In April 2019, Vicinity Centres became the sole shareholder after buying out the Plenary Group.[https://web.archive.org/web/20210106082944/https://www.commercialrealestate.com.au/news/vicinity-takes-control-of-dfo-with-141-million-deal-33789/ Vicinity takes control of DFO with $141 million deal] Commercial Real Estate 16 April 2019

DFO Uni Hill is in Bundoora, approximately {{convert|16|km}} north-east of the Melbourne central business district. It opened in 2008.{{rp|55}} Vicinity has a 50% shareholding with the remainder owned by MAB Corporation.{{rp|55}} Up until Vicinity's acquisition in 2020, the outlet centre was known as Uni Hill Factory Outlets, which formerly operated as 'Brand Junction'.{{Cite news|url = https://www.realestatesource.com.au/vicinity-centres-buys-50-pc-stake-in-uni-hill-now-to-be-known-as-dfo-and-sells-half-share-of-lennox-village/ |title = Vicinity Centres buys 50 per cent stake in Uni Hill Factory Outlets, now to be known as DFO |first = Marc|last = Pallisco |work = realestatesource.com.au|access-date = 2025-02-05}}{{Cite web|url = https://www.weekendnotes.com/brand-junction-factory-outlet/ |title = Brand Junction Factory Outlet |website = Weekend Notes|access-date = 2025-02-05}}{{Cite web|url = http://www.brandjunction.com.au:80/concept/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080602004053/http://www.brandjunction.com.au:80/concept/ |title = About Brand Junction |website = Brand Junction |archive-date=2008-06-02}}

{{main|2017 Essendon Airport Beechcraft King Air crash}}

Just before 9am on 21 February 2017, a Beechcraft Super King Air on a passenger charter flight bound for King Island, Tasmania crashed shortly after takeoff from nearby Essendon Airport. All five people aboard the flight were killed. As the shopping centre had not opened yet, only staff were at the centre, all of whom were accounted for. The incident was the worst aviation accident in Victoria for 30 years.{{cn |date=March 2022}}

• Canberra Outlet Centre, a former DFO centre
• The District Docklands

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• {{official website}}

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{{Vicinity Centres|state=collapsed}}

Category:Outlet malls in Australia

Category:Retail companies established in 1997

Category:Retail companies of Australia

Category:1997 establishments in Australia