Great place for a bargain and they have all the great stores for everything for the the family from…read morehats to shoes and everything in between

Lots of great outlet stores at the DFO! Adidas, Nike, Cotton On, a few shoe stores.. I can't name…read morethem all but I've always enjoyed coming here. The layout downstairs confuses me a bit and I get a little turned around when trying to find a store I've been to countless times. They have a food court downstairs has a really good selection of cuisines and are all reasonably priced.

You know that moment when you're just tiring of shopping for cool clothes and realise that what you…read moreactually REALLY need is a bucket and then you find yourself enjoying bucket shopping more than you ever enjoyed shopping for said cool clothes? It is at this very moment that I head to Best Mart, a store selling a bit of everything - buckets, bins, kitchen accessories, mirrors, art supplies - at great prices from a decidedly unglamorous shop on the Collingwood side of Smith Street. Kind of like Ikea in miniature - but without the Scandinavian design sensibility and on sale - Best Mart is definitely the place to go for all things practical and prosaic. And the buckets? Brilliant. Lots of colours, lots of sizes and providing one of the most satisfying buying experiences I've had in ages. I love Best Mart.

Located right in the middle of one of Melbourne's key shopping districts is the trendy little gift…read morestore Universal. I stumbled across the Universal Outlet one day when I was looking for a birthday gift for a friend. Luckily Universal came to my rescue. The stock is a mixture of chic decoration type items like photo frames, flower vases. wall fixtures etc. coming in a range of modern patterns and colours there is lots to choose from. I wandered around the store trying to refrain for purchasing items from myself! Finally I choose a large white sculpture that spelled the word "peace," the letter a had been coloured in a soft blue, it looked elegant and modern and had a nice price attached too. The store itself isn't overly large, but I would definitely recommend a look through Universal if your stuck for gift ideas or even wanting something special for yourself.

No depressing bargain basement vibe here. No mismatched stock in only the very smallest and very…read morelargest sizes. No hideous clothing that is no more appealing due to slashed prices. The Bendon Outlet store is amazing. Think beautiful silk and lace bras by the like of Elle Macpherson and Stella McCartney for only $20. Considering that these usually go for anywhere between $50-$100, this is quite the bargain. Even better they stock a large range of sizes. While the $20 sales aren't an every day occurrence, they tend to happen every few months. In the meantime there are various other specials, such as 50% off all bras and 3 pairs of briefs for $20.

Absolute bargains on your lacy, silky, sexy lingerie. And on the boring every-day stuff to. You can…read morepick up some great brands here from Elle McPherson to Pleasure State and of course Bendon. Sign up to their mailing list to find out when things go on sale - usually with nothing over $20! I regularly come here and refresh my lingerie collection for around $100 The staff are super helpful, bringing you different sizes and helping you work out what's in stock and on sale.

The Cotton on Pop-Up store on the Collingwood side of Smith Street is a cheap fast fashion…read morerevelation. And as a sometime fan of the Cotton On brand who sometimes baulks at the quality to price ratio of the label's wares, the Cotton On Smith Street store is a real find. Selling a good cross section of the brand's dresses, t's, singlets, accessories and more, nothing in the shop is over $10 with prices as low as $2-3 for tops and $10 for Cotton On's awesome denim shorts which usually retail for more like $35 - 40. I had presumed that the bulk of the stock in this pop up shop was last season's but surprisingly the Cotton On Pop Up shop has popped up to liquidise past AND current season's overstock meaning a trip to this Smith Street outpost could just save you a pretty penny on items that are languishing on the rails at Cotton On's other branches right this very moment. The one thing precluding a five star review here is the pop-up shop's changing rooms which are plentiful but ill equipped in that they don't have any mirrors, nor are there really any mirrors in the store which seems like a terrible oversight. I gather this pop up shop is going to last the distance too, with the sales girl anticipating a stay of roughly three to four months on Smith Street and more current season stock hitting the floors any day. If you're a fan of the brand and fancy a bargain I suggest you get down to Smith Street post-haste.

Just a heads up, everyone, there's an Ishka outlet store at the DFO in Cheltenham! Like any other…read moreIshka store, I always go in for the clothes and am surprised by how little of the store is given over to selling them. This is because it's actually a homewares, gift, and "look at my pretty things" store. I forget that. Lots of pretty things, lovely staff, and a huge selection of incense and scented oils. Probably better than in some city stores. The clothes selection is small, but unlike city stores it seems to be mostly dresses and tops made in different styles from the same fabric. Strange. For those of you who skip to the bottom of the review, I repeat: There is an Ishka Outlet Store! In Cheltenham!

Like any bad chef I always blame my tools for the outcome of a crappy, under-cooked meal. But…read morebecause of Superchef I can no longer do that... Damn them for stocking high quality products! However they have made the job of cooking a lot easier and painfree. I didn't realise you could cut onions practically tear-free if you have a good quality, sharp knife! They also stock a good variety of crockery and cooking utensils so even if you still screw-up dinner at least your guests will appreciate the lovely plate it came on.

As a part-time ninja I often find myself in the market for some cheap but good quality knives. Well…read moreSuperchef Warehouse has provided for me on many an occasion. As an added bonus their well priced steel pots can be melted down into ninja stars with relative ease. For those of you after cooking equipment for it's intended use there is a delectable range of cutlery, ceramic ware, wine glasses and every other imaginable kitchen item the average gourmand may desire in their kitchen.

This is a shopping wonderland, but also a greta place to get sick of other shoppers and leave with…read morebags full of discounted clothing/kitchenware/linen etc you may not need. Ther eis an impressive selection of shops, with almost anything available, including furnature, whiteware, electronic goods etc. Also Alcohol and stiiock feed in the area. No/poor public transport access, but there is a large car park. Bendigo Bank ATMS.

Love a bargain? DFO Essendon has a pretty good selection of brands we all love, plus it's part of…read morethis huge homemaker - like centre. Here you'll find: Freedom Furniture (massive must be full range store) the Good Guys (massive store), Nick Scali Furniture (massive), Spotlight (massive store with plenty of stock), Dan Murphys, Beacon Lighting, Adairs...you get the idea. Every store here is massive. Fashion wise, I reckon they do stock, apart from last seasons threads, current season too (hello Industrie?) which I suppose caters to all manner of taste and seasonal needs. Heck, grab some summer Quickie Rippie t- shirts in winter for summer and you're all set for what's coming next. The DFO complex is huge and there's two mid-sized food courts and a few cafes dotted throughout the place. This DFO has one main entrance and exit unlike the other DFOs which makes it less confusing to navigate a mammoth complex. Look at the map as you enter and then either go clockwise or anti-clockwise works both ways. Restrooms are in alleys between the shops just look above for the navigation signage. Plus points are tenants seem to be clustered together according to type of merchandise i.e. kitchenalia and dining are next to each other, homewares and decor, professional workwear labels are beside each other, streetwear and surf labels etc. Makes for good price checks and comparisons. Ample parking, and walking a little bit won't necessarily kill you. Just watch out for cars reversing in and out. That can get pretty hairy. Service is pretty good from almost all the shops i went into, considering its a bargain depot of sorts. Some of them were really helpful too. DFO is one of those places you can never leave without getting something anything.