A popular High Wycombe shopping centre has seen major success this year with a “significant” increase in shoppers pouring through the doors – despite a “bleak” outlook for shopping centres across the country.

The Eden Shopping Centre has seen a year-on-year increase in footfall during 2017.

In a week where analysis company Springboard reported a 4.9 per cent decrease in footfall at shopping centres, retail parks and high streets in December, Eden has confirmed its year-on-year footfall has gone up by 5.3 per cent.

According to Springboard, nationwide, footfall fell in shopping centres, retail parks and High Streets in the first quarter of the year by 1.2 per cent, recovered slightly in quarter two by 0.5 per cent and fell again in the third quarter by 1.2 per cent.

Eden’s centre director, Andrew Norton, put their success down to a number of new big-name companies opening up within the last year.

He said: “These are very encouraging figures. Against a bleak national background, Eden is performing very well indeed.

“A number of retailers have opened significant stores recently, including TK Maxx, Decathlon and Toys R Us. They join a very strong retail mix anchored by House of Fraser and M&S, which is proving to be very popular amongst shoppers.

“Eden’s retail mix is complemented by its leisure and food and beverage offer which includes Cineworld, Hollywood Bowl, Bill’s, Nandos, Wagamama, Yo! Sushi and Zizzi.

“It’s this overall mixed offer that makes Eden such a compelling proposition.”