Nearly 20 shops will remain open until midnight at Bluewater on the last full day of Christmas trading.

Schuh, Gap, Tessuti, Beaverbrooks, Kipling and Rigby & Peller are among the brands to confirm they will join Boots, Boux Avenue and All Saints in staying open on December 23 to captialise on the last-minute surge of festive shoppers.

More brands are expected to commit in the coming days.

The move has been prompted by strong post-7pm sales so far this year and evidence that Bluewater’s carparks have remained 50% full at 9pm from Monday to Saturday.

Since November 11, Bluewater’s website has seen searches for store opening hours increase by 43%.

There has also been a 31% increase in views of the click and collect category, compared to the previous four weeks.

At present, retailers are open until 11pm six days a week until December 21.

Bluewater general manager Robert Goodman said: “Consumers have greater choice than ever, so it is vital retail destinations engage on both rational and emotional levels.

“Bluewater’s support of midnight trading, the launch of the mobile-optimised website, and promotion of click and collect reflect the changing ways consumers shop and access information.”

So far, the shops confirmed to stay open until midnight on December 23 are All Saints, Ann Summers, Bank, Base, Beaverbrooks, Boux Avenue, Crocs, East, Gap, Hawkins Bazaar, Kipling, Rigby & Peller, Schuh, Sweatshop, Sweets from Heaven, Tessuti, The Perfume Shop and Three.

• The shopping centre’s Showcase cinema launches its IMAX screen today with a preview of the next installment of The Hobbit.