Bluewater's record Christmas
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Bluewater has notched up a record Christmas
- giving it the highest annual visitor numbers ever.
A record 28.1 million shoppers passed through the Dartford
centre's doors in 2010.
It also marked a record for the highest footfall on a
single day. December 27 - or Mega Monday - saw more than 194,000
visitors: the busiest day since it opened in 1999.
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."
But he said the rise in VAT was not the key motivating factor:
"This is largely due to the sales, which mean significant savings
on "big ticket" items, such as 3D televisions and personal
electronics, that will be most affected by the increase."
He said the record Christmas could be a sign that consumer
confidence was returning.
Sunday, January 02 2011
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