Record-breaking sales are taking place in north Kent this week as almost a million shoppers are expected to hit the stores.

Bluewater chiefs said they had never seen the Greenhithe shopping centre as busy with over 180,000 people shopping on Tuesday.

On Boxing Day, hundreds began queuing at 2.30am as stores opened at 5.30am.

James Waugh, Bluewater Retail Manager, said: "Traditionally, the majority of guests on Boxing Day are families, who make a day of it. By 10am, our car parks were busy with guests arriving to have breakfast before starting their sale shopping. In fact, we served our first coffees at around 5am."

As well as the shops, thousands of people ate in the restaurants and burnt off the festive excesses by having a skate at the Christmas in New York festival.
David Wilkinson, Bluewater’s Head of Marketing, said: "Boxing Day was a great start to our week, but we expect today to be even better.

December 27 has always been our busiest day, and is boosted by the start of the John Lewis sale."

This year’s Boxing Day success has also been put down the opening of the centre’s new £60 million events venue Glow. The 5,200 sq m venue played host to a snow slide, ice rink and Santa’s grotto.