Queen’s Wharf secures retail giant DFS for luxury shopping precinct

Queen’s Wharf Brisbane will deliver its new luxury shopping precincts after securing a deal with a retail giant that boasts 750 global luxury brands.

Part of the Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH) Group, DFS is a global brand of luxury retail offerings. As part of an agreement announced today, T Galleria by DFS, Brisbane will be DFS’ largest location in Oceania, after its existing stores in Sydney and Cairns in Australia, and Auckland in New Zealand.

The Brisbane development is one of the most significant future projects for DFS, which will open a flagship offering – Samaritaine Paris Pont-Neuf by DFS – on Rue de Rivoli in the French capital later this year.

DFS’ three-level T Galleria Emporium in the historic Printery Building on George Street – plus a myriad of its luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, housed across 16 free-standing stores – will make up the majority of the shopping precinct at Queen’s Wharf which would feature destination retail products from more than 100 brands.

The development will also showcase several high-profile international brands new to Brisbane.

As the exclusive retailer in Queen’s Wharf Brisbane, DFS will span more than 6,000 square meters of luxury retail floorspace. DFS’ three-level T Galleria emporium in the historic Printery Building on George Street – plus a wealth of its luxury brands, including Louis Vuitton, housed across 16 free-standing stores – will deliver more than 100 brands to the area.

The development will also showcase several high-profile international brands new to Brisbane.

DFS Group Chairman and CEO Benjamin Vuchot said the deal with Destination Brisbane
Consortium – a joint venture led by The Star Entertainment Group with its Hong Kong-based partners, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises and Far East Consortium – was the latest in a series of recent DFS expansions.

“Our approach has always been to create destinations within destinations,” Mr Vuchot said.

“As a future iconic tourism, leisure, and entertainment destination, we saw Queen’s Wharf as a global priority for our business, sitting high on our list alongside significant ventures in Europe and Asia.

“We choose locations where our customers want to visit and then create stores of a quality and richness that elevate the local retail offering to a world-class level.

“We’re delighted to join Queen’s Wharf Brisbane’s multitude of attractions and look forward to welcoming our customers to this exciting city in the future.

The Star Entertainment Group CEO Matt Bekier said the landmark partnership with DFS will
transform the city’s retail offering.

“Queen’s Wharf will deliver world-class experiences on so many levels,” he said.

“With DFS on board, our luxury retail shopping precinct will not only be globally competitive, but the biggest they have in Australia.

“This will deliver the wow factor for locals, as well as interstate and international travellers.

“We have talked about four hotels, scores of restaurants, cafes and bars, 12 football fields of open space, the Sky Deck, moonlight cinema, the Neville Bonner Bridge and residential
apartments. Now the detail of the Queen’s Wharf retail shopping offering is taking shape and it further fuels the excitement of what this transformational development will deliver for Queensland and Queenslanders.”

DFS’ suite of luxury brands and stores will become fully operational as part of a staged opening of Queen’s Wharf from late-2022.

Mr Bekier said DFS’ arrival also has the potential to provide further economic stimulus for
Brisbane and positive flow-on benefits for others in the tourism, hospitality and retail sectors.

Prior to the halt in Australia’s tourism-related travel caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, Brisbane was the fastest-growing holiday destination in Australia, averaging a three-year growth rate of seven percent in international visitors.

DFS and Destination Brisbane Consortium are highly confident that Brisbane will be an early beneficiary of a return to normal travel patterns, primarily due to its warm, tropical climate and numerous outdoor attractions.