Norwich high street is continuing its post-pandemic recovery with more shoppers making trips into the city centre compared to early 2020, a new report has found.

The latest survey from Centre for Cities, which has been tracking footfall in the city, has given Norwich an index of 120 for weekends, against a baseline of 100 - its level before the pandemic.

Shoppers have also been returning to the centre during weekdays, although with an index of 85 it is still slightly below pre-pandemic levels.

The report also classified Norwich's high street economy as "strong", and gave the city an overall index of 94 and a spend index of 93.

Paul McCarthy, general manager at Norwich's indoor shopping centre Chantry Place, has noticed increasing confidence among retailers and is optimistic about the coming months.

Mr McCarthy said: “Confidence continues to increase as we gradually move through the pandemic and visitor numbers are on the up, though not yet at pre-pandemic levels.

"We’ve every reason to hope that this will continue as we move into spring and summer, especially as we welcome new brands to the centre, with news coming very soon on new developments.

"Plus, we plan to start running events from Easter onwards and al fresco dining on Chantry Square will return when the weather turns warmer."

Although retailers are positive, rising cost of living could impact the high street this year.

The most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that inflation has increased to 5.5pc, a near 30-year high, and is expected to peak in April at just under 7pc.

Joe Faulkner, head of global accountancy firm KPMG's Norwich office, said that retailers have been "battling rising cost challenges" and highlighted labour shortages, increasing raw material costs and supply chain issues as factors putting pressure on businesses' budgets.

"The ‘cost of living crisis’ is expected to be a theme that continues throughout this year, with inflation presenting a major challenge to retailers as the power of consumers’ real incomes is diminished. This pressure on consumers' wallets is likely to be added to as travel and leisure/hospitality opportunities open up and we, as consumers divert some our spend in that direction.

He added: "For a long time, many retailers have been absorbing the rising costs of goods, but this year they will need to decide how and when they can pass these on to consumers. They will also need to continue to review their cost base for efficiencies and we would expect many to look to technology to help drive productivity especially in the back and middle office while continuing to balance this with investment in the customer facing technologies.

"Additionally, supply chain resilience and efficiencies will also be an area of focus for most to ensure they have the right availability of products and can ensure they can get them into customers hands as efficiently as possible. Customers are increasingly demanding and will increasingly seek to make purchasing decisions on value, convenience and experience; they will show loyalty to retailers that match their exacting standards."

Prior to the pandemic, the high street was already facing the challenge of online shopping and Mr Faulkner said during the last two years people's lifestyles and behaviours have changed making it even more important for retailers to understand consumer's needs.

He said: "The line between online and physical shopping is increasingly blurring, and consumers continue to use a mix of physical and digital touchpoints to make a purchase. With rising uptake of online transactions across all age groups, consumers are increasingly becoming concerned about data security, privacy and cybercrime and they have high expectations of the digital shopping experience.

"The post-pandemic customer whilst wanting increasing personalisation of their experience also demands integrity with their data. Retailers must ensure they work hard in this area to protect their customers and provide them with comfort that they can continue to spend in safety.”