Kay McMahon, lecturer and member of the Australian Fashion Council, said consumer empowerment, spawned from the online shopping revolution, signalled an 'end-of-days' scenario for some fashion malls.

Ms McMahon said local centres most at-risk include those that failed to accommodate a customer base that was more knowledgeable about fashion styles and product offerings.

She said fashion marketing had become a "conversation in fashion”, rather than a barrage of messaging.

“It's so much more powerful. Gone are the days when Westfield would be one telling us what's on offer, or we'd impulse buy based on a trip to the mall and a look in the windows," Ms McMahon said.

"Today, we're informing our fashion buying decisions based off what we research online or fashion bloggers, who have even usurped fashion magazines to some degree.

“That's why your Westfields, your Broadways are looking at employing bloggers.”

The Australian National Retailers Association last month estimated three quarters of Australians had used the internet to help out with their shopping since December, with 65 per cent of those shopping online making some of their purchases from overseas websites.