The shoppers of Kent are doing their bit for the credit crunch economy - with Bluewater's John Lewis store reporting an "excellent performance".

Weekly figures for the flagship store show that in the week to September 13, sales were up by 9.4 per cent on the previous year. The previous week, figures were up year-on-year by 10 per cent.

Dan Knowles, director of selling operations at John Lewis, said Bluewater was part of a nationally "positive" picture for the store chain. Nationwide, figures for the department stores were up by 7.5 per cent on the previous year.

He said: "Fashions again led the way, with excellent figures across the board. "Back-to-School" has come later than ever, and we have performed well this season in this key area of trade.

"Girlswear and women's shoes performed most strongly of the buying offices, on the back of excellent new ranges – a performance to be proud of. Handmade carpets and outdoor living both had good weeks."

"Positive stories come thick and fast this week, and we can look back with a high degree of satisfaction on an excellent performance."

Meanwhile, the Office for National Statistics said UK retail sales had jumped unexpectedly in August.

It reported that high street sales rose 1.2 per cent in August to stand 3.3% higher than a year ago. Analysts had expected a 0.5 per cent drop.