Castlepoint celebrated the end of its 20th anniversary year with a 46 per cent rise in December visitor numbers.
The footfall figures build on growth of 22 per cent in visitor numbers in November compared to the previous year.
The shopping centre’s first Christmas village, Festive Point, proved particularly successful.
The new feature is estimated to have attracted more than 16,000 people over the 18 days it was open.
Castlepoint provided more than £15,000 of support – both financial and in-kind – to community and charity causes during 2023 as part of its Project Positivity initiative.
They ranged from giving away weekly food shops and providing free IT support to building racking for food banks and litter picking and beach cleans.
Its aim was to deliver 20 acts of kindness in acknowledgement of Castlepoint’s 20 years.
The centre also underwent a full rebrand and welcomed a trio of new brands – Holland & Barrett, Hotel Chocolat and Nike.
Castlepoint Centre Manager, David Pickett, said: “Well what a year to look back on and it certainly has been a merry Christmas here at Castlepoint.
“Our team has worked tirelessly to provide a special festive experience for our shoppers and we are so glad to have been rewarded with extraordinary uplifts in visitor numbers as families come in their thousands.
“We are proud to be part of this wonderful community and look forward to making more improvements and enhancements in 2024, and hopefully launch some new stores too.
“With the sales period now in full swing, there are some amazing discounts available at our 40+ brands.”