The UK shopping centre in pretty UK village that’s ‘best’ for Christmas shopping

A whopping 48 million adults in the UK plan to buy Christmas gifts in 2024 with an average spend of £596 each on Christmas gifts.

With such high footfall forecast in many centres across the UK, finding the best centre to cater for all your needs is a high priority for many Brits.

But one village has been found, yet again, to be home to the best shopping centre for Christmas shopping in a new study.

The research by car retailer cinch, looked at the 20 biggest shopping centres across the UK finding this location to not only have the number one shopping centre but also providing picturesque nature spots when all the shopping gets too much.

The Bluewater Shopping Mall in Kent has officially been named the best centre for Brits to do their Christmas shopping with the centre being the benchmark for the ultimate shopping and leisure experience since its opening in 1999.

Bluewater houses over fifty stores and recreational facilities with over 300 stores and 60 restaurants and cafes.

“It’s no secret how stressful Christmas shopping can be, so we wanted to find out where festive shoppers can have the most enjoyable experience,” said Sam Sheehan, motoring editor at cinch.

“With a whopping 13,000 free parking spaces, 350 shops and restaurants spread across 1,800,000 square feet, and a Google review rating of 4.5 stars, it’s no surprise that Bluewater ranks top of our list.

The Metrocentre in Gateshead and Meadowhall in Sheffield took second and third place, respectively “with both having plenty of shopping and food options and offering more than 10,000 free parking spaces each.”

The centre is located in Greenhithe and it’s is not only famous for its shopping centre, the area is also a true delight for nature lovers thanks to its location being near the picturesque Thames riverside and the Kent Downs Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Greenhithe is a quaint village in the Borough of Dartford in Kent and has been hailed as a real gem of a spot thanks to its proximity to nature, its rich naval history and being home to one of the UK’s largest retail hubs.

One review on TripAdvisor described Bluewater as having a “good variety of shops , plenty of parking and kept well maintained, easy to access from London , Kent and Essex.”

Another added: “Amazing, so many shops, so much choice, it’s a day out in itself.”

According to the research, the top 10 best shopping malls in the UK for Christmas shopping include:

1. Bluewater Greenhithe, Kent
2. Metrocentre in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear
3. Meadowhall in Sheffield
4. The Trafford Centre in Trafford, Greater Manchester
5. Lakeside Shopping Centre in Thurrock, Essex
6. Merry Hill in Dudley, West Midlands
7. Westfield London in Shepherd’s Bush, London
8. Westfield Stratford City in Stratford, London
9. Braehead in Renfrew, Renfrewshire
10. 1Centre:mk in Milton Keynes