Dress Smart
New Zealand shopping centre franchise
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dress Smart is a franchise of shopping centres in New Zealand that specialises in outlet stores.
Dress Smart as viewed from Galway Street, Onehunga. | |
 | |
| Location | Onehunga, Auckland; Hornby, Christchurch |
|---|---|
| Address | 151 Arthur Street, Onehunga, Auckland 1061, New Zealand; 409 Main South Road, Hornby, Christchurch |
| Opening date | 1995 |
| Developer | Argyle Estates[1] |
| Owner | Lendlease[2] |
| Stores and services | 100+ (Auckland); 45+ (Christchurch) |
| Floors | 2 |
| Website | dress-smart |
History
Dress Smart opened in October 1995 as New Zealand's first factory outlet shopping centre. The company was created by John Bougen, was inspired by a factory outlet centre between Vancouver and Seattle.[3]
The first centre was located in Onehunga, Auckland. On a site that was once the premises of a 3 Guys supermarket and some neighbouring stores.[4] Twenty stores were at the centre on opening day including Just Jeans, Michael Hill, and Rodd & Gunn that still operate stores at the centre and the since closed The Body Shop, Lane Walker Rudkin (now Canterbury), Country Road, Esprit, Nautica, Overland, Pumpkin Patch.[3] Due to the centres popularity retailiers opened in the nearby Paynes Lane until expansion led to its demolition and move underground in 1999.[5]
Dress Smart opened a Christchurch (Hornby) shopping centre in 1998.[5] Also in 1998 AMP Asset Management acquired half of Dress Smart.[5]
In 1999, Dress Smart was granted resource consent to double the size of its Onehunga shopping centre.[5] Dress Smart opened in Wellington (Tawa) in October 2000.[5]
In 2003 the three centres were sold to ING Retail Property Fund Australia.[6]
A Hamilton shopping centre opened in 2006 as part of The Base.[7]
Dress Smart completed an expansion of its Onehunga and Hornby centres in 2005, the Onehunga store count was brought to 110.[8]
Dress Smart was sold in 2010 to the Lendlease.[6]
The Wellington shopping centre was sold in 2013 and rebranded to Outlet Centre.[9]
Dress Smart Hornby was listed for sale in 2025.[10]
