Vicinity opens seventh DFO
Vicinity Centres has relaunched a factory outlet-style mall in Melbourne’s north under its popular DFO brand, after taking a half-stake in the retail property last year.
The rebranding of the retail outlet as DFO Uni Hill brings to seven the number of discount malls Vicinity has under that brand.
Vicinity paid $67.8 million for a half share in Bundoora mall at the Uni Hill estate, developed by Financial Review Rich Listers Andrew and Michael Buxton’s MAB Corporation, which retains a 50 per cent stake in the asset.
“It’s an ideal time to welcome DFO Uni Hill, as a new addition to Vicinity’s successful DFO portfolio, ahead of Black Friday and pre-Christmas trade,” Vicinity Centres DFO regional general manager Daniel Sutton said.
Mr Sutton said that since Melbourne’s lockdown had eased, customer traffic at DFO Uni Hill has grown sharply, up 27 per cent compared with last year. “We expect strong visitation over the coming weeks,” he said.
The rebranded DFO Uni Hill has more than 90 Australian and international brands, including sports and leisure drawcards such as Nike, Adidas, Puma and Asics.
Polo Ralph Lauren recently opened its doors with more luxury brands expected to join. The Uni Hill mall has a contactless parcel concierge and customers can skip queues with some retailers by using SocialQ and virtual queuing technology.
The Uni Hill facility is Vicinity’s fourth DFO mall in Melbourne in a portfolio that includes DFOs in Sydney, Brisbane and Perth.
