Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Great variety of shops, great day out |
| Disadvantages: |
Busy at weekends, many of the shops are designer names and expensive |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Lucky ol' me - I live within 25 minutes driving distance of two of the finest shopping centres in the land - Lakeside, and Bluewater! Not so lucky for my purse, however! For this opinion I will concentrate on the latter as it is my favourite of the two.
If you've never been to Bluewater Shopping Centre, then you are really missing something!! It was designed in a triangular shape, with a huge department store at each apex; House of Fraser, John Lewis and a massive Marks and Spencers (if you think M&S have gone down the pan recently, then take a look in here - it may restore your faith). So; when you enter, if you carry on walking in the same direction you will eventually end up where you started; though it will take you several hours to do so if you are into serious shopping!
The inside of Bluewater is bright, shiny and modern, with plenty of space and an airy feel to it. At night, the outside of the complex is lit up in a gorgeous neon blue - it really is quite a sight to see.
Surrounding the centre are numerous car parks with over 13,000 spaces in total - but you will often still struggle to get a space if you go at the weekend (I usually shop during the week). Bluewater is also well served by public transport including buses and trains from London and Kent. If you catch a train you have to also catch a connecting bus from Greenhithe Station, but these are pretty frequent.
Ok - that's the outside - but what about the actual shopping? Well there are more than 320 shops in Bluewater and there are many unique and unusual shops that you just wouldn't find anywhere else. I think fashion shops have to be Bluewater's strong point - there are so many for both men and women, with an abundance of designer shops and "different" stores that do not appear on your average High Street. On the downside, many of the shops cater for the dearer end of the market, although there are some cheaper shops such as New Look, Top Shop and Madhouse. My personal favourite fashion stores are Mango, Zugi and Zara.
If you're looking for an unusual gift idea, then Bluewater may well be the place to find it. As well as your more common gift shops like the Gadget Shop, Athena and Birthdays; check out Muji who sell lots of oriental style gift ideas, and Jerry's Home Store, who have a wide range of American goods, including lots of lovely food and drink from the USA, (though a little on the expensive side).
For homewares there are also many shops such as a large Habitat, The Pier and Blue Tomato. There are also several electrial stores such as Dixons and Jessops. Feeling peckish? There are several dining areas here offering a good selection of food from all over the world, as well as coffee shops scattered around the complex. And yes, there is a McDonalds!
The other facilities are great, too! The toilets are plentiful and very clean and modern. Cash points are situated at various points around the centre and there are also shopping lockers and telephones for you to use. Disabled access is apparently very good (though I cannot speak from a personal experience) and standard wheelchairs are available to use free of charge. You can also hire a bike, a tandem or a quatro to explore the outside of the complex if you're feeling energetic!
To top all that off, there is a 13 screen cinema situated in the Water Circus, and in certain screens you can choose to have an upgraded ticket whereby you get a comfy sofa, drinks served to you as you watch the film, a box of choccies, and snacks when you get there whilst you are waiting for the film to start. Very nice for a special night out.
The downside of Bluewater is that many of the shops are geared towards the slightly dearer end of the market (you won't find your Woolworths or your Argos, here!!) and it can also get unbearably busy at the weekends. But on the whole, a very nice shopping centre and definitely worth a look if you;ve not been here, though make sure you allow a whole day, and also make sure you've got loads of cash because you will certainly want to spend it!!
There's a lot to write about Bluewater but I don't want to bore the pants off you any more! If you need any more info, check out the website at www.Bluewater.co.uk.
(PS Bluewater is located near Dartford in Kent, near the M25 and A2)
very helpful
very helpful
