YATE Shopping Centre is going from strength to strength as it reported an increase of 3.7 per cent visitors over the winter period.

The shopping mall attracted over 1.22million visitors in the run up to Christmas, bucking the national trend of declining shoppers.

Andy Lowrey, Centre Manager, describes the figures as a great boost for both the centre and Yate as a whole.

He said: “There is no doubt that the investment of recent years is starting to benefit all those traders who have persevered through the last few years.

"The new Yate Riverside stores such as T K Maxx and Next, really drew the shoppers whilst Pandora in the main Centre has proved an amazing hit, constantly exceeding all expectations since its opening last year.”

He added that plans are in place for two "significant" changes to the mall: a new coffee pod at the entrance to the Yate Riverside site and splitting the former The Entertainer unit in West Walk into three seperate individual retail units.

He said: “Further to this, there are also two new ventures scheduled to open during the spring."

"We are in advance talks with a ladies fashion operator and a Soft Play operator.”