by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Around a quarter of a million people defied wintry weather to shop at Bluewater last weekend amid claims that the prospects for a happy retail Christmas are "delicately poised."

Some 150,000 shoppers visited the retail and leisure centre on Saturday, with a further 100,000 visitors on Sunday.

While data from Synovate Retail Performance quoted in The Sunday Telegraph suggested retail sales had slumped by a third at Bluewater, centre and shop bosses insisted they had performed well despite the weather.

Andrew Parkinson, general manager, said: "We are delighted to have had such a strong weekend at Bluewater following the severe recent weather with guests keen to get back to normal and continue their Christmas shopping."

John Lewis admitted the snow had had an impact on trade, but said sales were 1.2 per cent up on the same week last year and 3.7 per cent up on the previous week. It said cold weather had triggered soaring sales of wellington boots, ski gloves and snowboots.

Meanwhile, before snow blanketed the country, like-for-like retail sales edged up 0.7 per cent in November, according to the British Retail Consortium.

Figures published today reveal total sales rose 2.8 per cent, less than the 4.1 per cent increase in November last year. Non-store sales - online, mail order and telephone - performed strongly, up 17.6 per cent on a year ago.

Stephen Robertson, BRC director-general, said: "With the final run-up under way, Christmas performance is delicately poised. Overall, the extreme weather has dramatically undermined sales over the last ten days. Retailers will be hoping disruption eases so that sales lost early in the month are made up over the next couple of weeks and not lost entirely. Booming internet sales alone are unlikely to make up sales shortfalls."