They are large-floor warehouse buildings containing partitioned stores where retail outlets sell excess or previous seasons' stocks at reduced prices.

[1][2] Other shareholders were property developer Geoff Porz and former Australian Competition & Consumer Commission chief Graeme Samuel through a blind trust.

[3] 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.

[8] 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.

[3] In September 2010, CFS Retail acquired the Essendon, Homesbush and Moorabbin centres and a 50% shareholding in South Bank.

As of June 2024[update], it has 134 tenants on 26,140 square metres (281,400 sq ft) of gross lettable area (GLA).

As of June 2024[update], it has 123 tenants on 28,226 square metres (303,820 sq ft) of gross lettable area (GLA).

[13]: 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.

[22] The refurbishment expanded its GLA to 16,485 square metres (177,440 sq ft), and also included a new Reading Cinemas theatre.

[23] DFO Moorabbin is in Cheltenham, about 20 kilometres (12 mi) south-east of the Melbourne central business district.

Originally Fairways Leisure Market, the centre opened in 1994 on land adjacent to Moorabbin Airport.

[29] DFO Uni Hill is in Bundoora, approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) north-east of the Melbourne central business district.

[citation needed] Media related to Direct Factory Outlet at Wikimedia Commons