SHOPPERS were out in force at Bluewater last weekend, with almost 350,000 people through the doors on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

With only four weekends of shopping remaining before Christmas, footfall was up seven per cent on the same days last year as shoppers capitalised on Black Friday and payday Saturday.

The Greenhithe centre’s fashion retailers reported strong sales of festive knitwear – a key item this year, according to experts – footwear, handbags, outerwear and embellished products.

The launch of the PS4 on Friday also boosted trade with the iPad Air and Kindle Fire selling well in terms of tech, while cookware and fragrances were also strong sellers.

Bluewater’s general manager Robert Goodman, said: “This has been a great weekend for Bluewater’s retailers, driven by a combination of an exceptional ‘Black Friday’, November payday and our significantly enhanced offer, which is led by 32 new brands this year and 25 store redesigns. 

“Consequently, not only are consumers visiting en masse, they are shopping in earnest.

“We anticipate this strong performance continuing right through to Christmas Eve, and have already introduced extended opening hours to provide even more opportunities for retailers to capture sales.”