John Lewis at Bluewater has enjoyed record sales at Bluewater

by business editor Trevor Sturgess

Onesies, tablet computers and French perfume have been the must-haves at John Lewis Bluewater this Christmas as the store chain enjoys record sales with its clicks and mortar formula.

The store has sold nearly 300 onesies, which have boosted nightwear sales by 7% on last year.

"Onesies have definitely been a phenomenon with men and particularly the ladies," said Katharine Pawlyn, operations manager in the fashion department. "But we've still got some in stock so it's not to late to buy a onesie."

The food hall has sold 11,000 bags of chocolate coins and 4,000 gingerbread men.

Tablet computers such as iPads, Microsoft Surface and one designed for children were also selling well.

As December 25 came closer, it was evident men were increasingly visiting the perfume department - which was selling a bottle of Chanel every seven minutes.

Karen Lord, the store's managing director, said despite recession it was on course for a record-breaking Christmas and New Year sale (or clearance) period.

"We are on target for a really good Christmas. I anticipate we will finish the year ahead of last year by one or so per cent."

Christmas shoppers have been flooding Bluewater

John Lewis has bucked the trends found by other stores hit by a shift to online shopping. While online sales have increased, many customers collect in-store and Ms Lord said there had been no reduction in people visiting the store.

But she had noticed new spending patterns. "Our customers are being more careful and selective," she said. "They want good value for money, quality and good service."

As for 2013, Ms Lord was cautiously optimistic. "It's not suddenly going to get easier for our customers. They will continue to demand - quite rightly - all the things they expect from us but I think they will still be careful in terms of how they spend their money."

On the jobs front, John Lewis Bluewater is to retain up to 30 staff from the 200 hired as temps for the festive period, boosting workforce numbers to 1,300.

Meanwhile, men have been rated the best Christmas shoppers at Bluewater. A survey found that 30% of men buy all their shopping in one swoop, in less time and more decisively than women.