Shopping Centre Bluewater said it experienced a record Christmas, recording its highest ever footfall of 28.1 million.

It also said it recorded its busiest single day since opening in 1999, with more than 194,000 shoppers visiting the centre on December 27.

Nearly one million guests shopped at Bluewater during the week beginning December 26 – another milestone for the centre.

Andrew Parkinson, Bluewater’s general manager, said: “This Christmas, more than any other in Bluewater’s history, has been a tale of two very different halves.  Pre-Christmas, the snow created pent-up demand that ultimately drove very high levels of footfall in the final shopping days.

“From Boxing Day onwards, however, the nature of shopping changed.  The pressure to purchase for others was lifted and so guests visited Bluewater en masse to indulge themselves in the sales. The type of guest is also quite different as a consequence.  A significant number of couples have been visiting Bluewater during the last week, along with families here to spend the day together.”