by Phil Pitt

A bit of naked ambition helped lead to some impressive figures for Kent’s retail giant Bluewater last month.

In a further encouraging sign for the county’s economy, the centre saw sales in July up 2.1 per cent, compared to the same month last year.

It puts the site ahead of the national retail average which saw sales up 1.8 per cent across the UK in July.

"Bluewater benefited from a number of marketing initiatives, such as the filming of the latest series of Gok Wan’s How To Look Good Naked, which took place in July," said Andrew Parkinson, Bluewater’s General Manager.

He also believes the centre cashed in on the ‘staycation’ trend, with day-trippers visiting the site as one of a package of days out.

And ironically it was the poor weather during the month that helped drive fashion sales to a 3.3 per cent increase on last year, with many retailers reporting strong demand for sweaters and cardigans.

The wash-out July also prompted a last-minute bonanza for Bluewater’s travel companies, which reported a flurry of bookings for foreign holidays after the Met Office revised its summer forecast.

The figures do not include statistics for the new John Lewis Foodhall which opened in Bluewater on August 6.

Simon Russell, managing director of John Lewis Bluewater, said he was pleased with shopper numbers: "It has drawn new customers into the branch and traded above our expectations so far," he said.

The John Lewis opening represented the first competition of its type to Marks & Spencer, which had run Bluewater’s only foodhall since it opened ten years ago.

M&S has not commented on the opening of the rival outlet, but a source said it remained confident of its food offering at Bluewater.