Who owns Australia’s shopping centres?

Shopping. It’s one of Australia’s favourite pastimes, which makes the performance of shopping centres a key factor in economic health.

But just who owns these properties?

Many are managed by large, diversified property groups and attract investment from insurance groups and super funds drawn by the capital stability and reliable income these properties provide.

Many are managed by large, diversified property groups and attract investment from insurance groups and super funds.

Shopping centres account for 38% of Australia’s retail space and more than a third of retail outlets, yet the amount of retail space per person in Australia is around half that in the US.

That leaves open the possibility for a major expansion, and that is most likely to come from the biggest owners.

Who owns Australia’s shopping centres?

Scentre Group

Scentre was created out of the controversial restructure of the Westfield group and is Australia’s largest owner, with interests in 38 shopping centres across the country.

The Scentre portfolio holds a dominant position in large regional centres, with its malls accounting for 11,135 retail outlets in 3.4 million sqm of space. The group has an ambitious acquisitions and development program valued at $4.9 billion.

CFS Retail Property Trust Group (CFX)

Also recently restructured, CFS Retail Property Trust Group or CFX has a retail portfolio worth $13.8 billion.

While 28 properties are held wholly or partially by CFX, wholesale funds or third-party mandates have interests in 15 assets, nine of them co-owned by CFX.

CFX owns and manages a mix of regional and sub-regional shopping centres across the east coast. It was a buyer of some DFO centres and an investor in the new Emporium centre in Melbourne.

CFX was a buyer of some DFO centres and an investor in the new Emporium centre in Melbourne.

CFX also has significant regional centres in Queensland, Chatswood Chase in Sydney and co-owns Chadstone in Melbourne with the Gandel Group.

Federation Centres

Relaunched from the ailing Centro Group, Federation manages 58 centres worth $4.3 billion, mostly owned by its listed and unlisted investments.

The group’s portfolio has a high weighting of sub-regional and convenience centres and cites its focus on the non-discretionary sector as a key strength. To date, Federation has rebranded 24 of the centres.

AMP Capital Shopping Centres

AMP has a portfolio of 17 centres in Australia and nine in New Zealand, which generate $6 billion in retail sales annually.

AMP has 17 centres in Australia and nine in New Zealand, which generate $6 billion in retail sales annually.

AMP’s $2.8 billion development pipeline includes redevelopments at the Macquarie Centre in Sydney, Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast, and Ocean Keys in Perth as well as two new projects at Booragoon and Karrinyup also in WA.

Dexus Property Group

One of Australia’s largest property groups, Dexus manages $15 billion of funds invested across a range of commercial property in Australia, Europe, New Zealand and the US.

Mostly owned by listed and unlisted funds, Dexus manages 13 centres worth $3.6 billion with its portfolio weighted towards sub-regional and neighbourhood centres.

Lend Lease

Lend Lease manages a portfolio of 17 regional and sub-regional centres across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and WA.

Lend Lease’s $4.7 billion portfolio is mostly owned by investment funds and partners and has more than $1 billion of developments in the pipeline.