He said non-discretionary sales accounted for about 69 per cent of centre sales.
He said that with rising petrol price concerns and sentiment towards retail sales, Centro and its managed funds were pleased with the results.
Mr Scott said fresh food and discount department stores continued to be stand-out performers, supporting the strong non-discretionary nature of Centro's portfolio.
Centro chief operating officer Graham Terry said the sales growth was reflected in continued confidence from retailers in the leasing market.
"This has been evident in the substantial new retail space leasing program that has resulted from the $550 million in redevelopments that are currently approved or under way in our centres," Mr Terry said.
He said the strong sales growth had allowed Centro to achieve average rental growth of 7 per cent on 381 lease renewals for the quarter in all Australian managed properties.
"This is reflecting the changes in consumer demand, such as for yoghurt and juice bars, the continuing national specialty retailers growth and the consumers focus on health and lifestyle."
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