Author's product rating: 
| Advantages: |
Got all you could want under one roof . |
| Disadvantages: |
Can be difficult to find if unsure of area . Parking a little hard also . |
| Recommend to potential buyers: |
yes |
Lakeside is a great shopping centre based near Dartford in Kent.
Just off the M25 lakeside can be found off junction 30/31 and is clearly signposted for those who are new to the centre.
Boasting of 320 shops, 4 major department stores, 30 cafes and restaurants, a 7 screen multiplex cinema, a chapel and a 26 acre lake complete with PADI certified diving school complex.
There is a neighbouring retail park that has approximately 40 large stores, these being, Toys R Us, Ikea, P.C World and all the other general big superstores that you would expect to find such a park including eateries such as Pizza Land and McDonalds.
Right back to Lakeside. Lakeside is made up of 2 levels which are easy to navigate as at every opportunity there are site maps explaining your whereabouts and all the shops are located on the map in alphabetical order which really does make life easier.
Starting with level 1.
Firstly you will see the general display of, Lifts, exits to car parks, escalators and stairs, telephone locations, cash dispensers and toilets. Let me just add that all car parks and shops are done on an alphabetical system so you could park on level 1 but in either A-Z zone (this is also colour coding to make life easier?)
Then you come to the choice of shops on level 1, again alphabetical order these are from Argos, All-sports, Barrats, Bay trading, Bhs and good old Boots the chemists
and I believe they have the opticians too.
Then you come to the C-G section, which has, from C&A to French connection.
This follows as H-P then finally onto Q-Z so you can guess which stores are there.
Level 2 follows suit with level 1 and also has the same great range, Lakeside is open midweek from 10am to 10pm due to the increased number of shoppers they have visit on a daily basis, I believe this to be around 500,000 and (looked up these facts) 160 million people have visited since the centre opened 10 years ago.
The opening hours for Saturday are 9am-7: 30pm and Sunday’s are 11am-5pm.
Lakeside is open throughout the year with the exception of Easter Sunday, Christmas Day and Boxing Day. Funnily enough New Year’s Day is a shopping day, which I must confess I found a little odd!
There is parking for 13,000 cars and for 250 coaches and the car parks are very well designed with easily accessible entrances and exits (a rare find these days). You have a choice of parking outside or in the main multi-storey car park and out of the two I would suggest that the outside car park is the most sensible choice as it easier to find your car on your return!
If you arrive shopping with your reluctant partner and they really do not want to shop then you can suggest that they can either go into the cinema complex where there is a wide choice of films showing or to the pub which is located nearby, this is particularly enjoyable as the views from the windows are really relaxing and show the lake surrounding the centre (hence it’s name).
Lakeside also consists of hairdressers, lots of restaurants and café’s ranging from Italian, Chinese to good old MacDonald’s which goes down a treat, the only problem is deciding where to eat.
Lakeside is a closed in shopping centre under cover but you can go outside and enjoy a nice walk round the lake if you crave a little fresh air after all that spending.
I really can’t think of anything else to add apart from that I know you will enjoy your shopping experience to Lakeside and if you are ever in the area, just give it a go even if just to browse
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