Discount Shopping Gold Coast Guide

Discount Shopping Gold Coast Guide

Here is a guide to discount shopping on the Gold Coast. There are some great bargains to be had if you know where to go.

The top pick for discount shopping is Gold Coast icon Harbour Town. Everything in the one spot! Even a non-shopper, like me, enjoys Harbour Town!

Whilst shopping for a bargain is always fun, don't forget there are many other shopping options on the Gold Coast including our markets, where you can also pick up great bargains and locally made souvenirs.

Harbour Town Factory Outlets & Discount Shopping

Harbour Town is one of the most popular destinations for shopping on the Gold Coast for visitors. I get the most questions about Harbour Town!

Harbour Town is hwere you will find a wide range of brand name factory outlet and discount shopping opportunities and is well worth putting on your itinerary.

Shopping is such a personal thing, but I see many families and couples enjoying an outing here. You can spend a half to a full day browsing and shopping with over 129 National and International outlet stores to choose from!

When you get bored of shopping you can catch a movie at the Reading Cinemas 14 screen Cinemaplex, grab a bite to eat in the range of fast food outlets and cafes or get an ice-cream - you are on holidays after all . More information about HarbourTown including information about how to get some extra special deals and discounts just for you .

Harbour Town Shopping Centre 
Cnr Brisbane Road and Oxley Drive, Biggera Waters

Trade Secret

Located in the Brickworks Centre in Southport this is a little gem. They have great clothing and other bargains. Whenever I go in there I am always blown away by what they have and the prices.

Trade Secret is a big brand name outlet where you can save heaps of money. They say you can save up to 60% off RRP.

I don't like tacky outlet stores with sorry looking merchandise. And this store is not at all tacky - it is just like your everyday store - except the prices are very low.

They sell:

• Homewares
• Kids
• Ladies Fashion Brands
• Lingerie
• Mens
• Surf brands
• Youth Fashion

Trade Secret at Southport is open 7 days a week. Monday to Fridays 9am to 5.30pm with late night trading Thursday till 8pm. Saturdays 8.30am to 5pm. Sundays and Public Holidays 10am till 4.30pm.

And you don't have to just bring cash. They accept most major credit cards!

The location is great because when you have picked up your bargains you can head to the opposite end of the carpark and Ferry Road markets.

Ferry Road Markets are completely the opposite! Let me assure you there is nothing discount here!  Expect to find fabulous gourmet cafes, sweet treats, deli, excellent coffees, juices and ice creams plus other gourmet foods.

Brickworks Centre
107 Ferry Road, Southport

Billabong Factory Outlet at Central Park, Ashmore

Billabong seconds shop and factory shop for all your Billabong stuff - great prices and bargains to be had.

There are two Billabong shops in this complex, both are worth a look and there are other discount stores in the same precinct called Central Park Outlet Shops. Worth a trip.

Central Park Plaza is a little gem in amongst the semi-industrial areas of Ashmore. Central Park Plaza is off Nerang-Southport Road just before you get to Nerang.

Central Park Outlet Shops
Central Park Avenue off Nerang Southport Road, Ashmore

Rivers Clearance Store

A few years ago there was a huge Rivers clearance shop in Harbour Town but this has now gone.

There are two Rivers Clearance stores located in the Gold Coast one in Robina at the Robina Super Centre (not Robina Town Centre) and the other one on Scarborough Street, Southport just outside Australia Fair.

Rivers often have great bargains and I find their quality pretty good.

Sporty's Warehouse

Sporty's is made up of several stores in one. Great sport clothing, footwear, camping, exercise equipment, golf, tennis, camping and sports nutrition.

Sportys Warehouse
Strathaird Road, Bundall

Direct Factory Outlets - DFO Brisbane Airport

It may not be a discount shopping on the Gold Coast, however, I get a lot of questions about DFO.

DFO is right next to Brisbane Airport! By car it is about 1½ hours drive from Surfers Paradise.

They advertise up to 70% off and 100 big name brands all under the one roof.

• Children's wear
• Footwear
• Handbags
• Homewares
• Jewellery
• Ladies Fashion
• Lingerie
• Luggage
• Men's fashion
• and more...

There are food courts, cafes and juice jars to keep you replenished ready for more shopping. Parking is plentiful and free. Across the road are some more conventional shops including a Woolworths Supermarket which is 24 hours - very useful to know! Especially on a Saturday when the supermarkets close at 5pm!

If you drive to DFO from Gold Coast, the direct route takes you over the Gateway Motorway Toll* and simply follow the signs for Brisbane Airport. Once you turn off follow the signs for DFO & SkyGate.

Rather than just drive to DFO for the day, you can make it part of a Brisbane Day Tour. Suggested itinerary - coming soon.

You can take the AirTrain from the Gold Coast and then catch a taxi to DFO if you don't have a car - but remember you will have to carry your purchases on the train with you so avoid peak work day week hours!

Open 7 days from 10.00am to 6.00pm

Brisbane Airport DFO
Ninth Avenue, SkyGate
Which is located at 1 Airport Drive, Brisbane Airport

About Tolls

Gateway Motorway tolls in Queensland make sure your car or hire car has an electronic toll tag as there is no option to pay by cash. If you use the tolls and don't have an electronic toll tag you can pay for the tolls by phone or visit GoVia to pay for the tolls within 3 days. The phone numbers are clearly signed before and after the tolls. If you don't do this, your hire car company and GoVia will slug you with very hefty administration charges that could run into the hundreds of dollars for what should be a few dollar toll fee each way.

It is possible to get to DFO without using tolls, but to be honest it is such a waste of your holiday time, I'd just pay the tolls! Use the Google Maps app and select the option without tolls for how to do this.

Discount Shopping Gold Coast Tours

Over the years there have been a few shopping tours offered that combined shopping and sightseeing - taking in sights such as Burleigh Beach, Jupiters Casino (now known as The Star Gold Coast), the Gold Coast Exhibition Centre, 6* luxury hotel Palazzo Versace and our tallest building Q1.

As for the shopping they would give a small amount of time at Pacific Fair, Marina Mirage and then finishing off with time for shopping at Harbour Town Discount Outlet Shopping Centre.

I'm not a great fan of these shopping tours, mostly because you really don't get much time for shopping in any of the locations.

I have found most visitors would rather spend between half a day to whole day at Harbour Town, unless they want to visit some of the more specific discount shopping options shown on this page.

Many of the discount shopping tours are also really aimed at locals, taking them to places where you can get some more consumable or perishable items which are not as interesting to visitors.

If you want to do shopping tour, I suggest you work out where you want to visit (you can use the map to see where they are) and then take a transfer to HarbourTown or catch a taxi or public transport to the other shopping centres such as Pacific Fair, Marina Mirage or Robina Town Centre.