Major shopping centres that opened last year have led to unprecedented changes in the rankings of the UK’s top retail destination, according to a report released last week.

Liverpool, Bristol, Leicester, Cambridge and Belfast have climbed the league table of retail centres, compiled by research firm Javelin Group.

The Liverpool One scheme, which opened last year, has helped propel the city into the top 10 retail destinations, climbing six places to sixth position.

In Bristol, Hammerson and Land Securities’ Cabot Circus scheme helped the city climb 15 places to the 12th spot, and in Leicester the opening of Highcross in September has moved the city up five places to 11th.

Javelin director Robin Bevan said: “There’s been more movement this year than we’ve ever seen. It would have been the goal of the developers to see these cities rise in the rankings.”

The Venuescore list ranks towns, cities and shopping centres based on a number of criteria, taking into account factors including scale of offer, market positioning, fashion-ability and age positioning.

One of the league table’s most notable shifts was High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire, where the opening of Brookfield’s Eden shopping centre last May pushed the town from 135th position in last year’s ranking to 79th this year.

Glasgow maintained its position as the number one retail destination in the UK. London’s West End, which when listed as one entity would top the league each year, is instead broken up into smaller areas such as Oxford Street and Covent Garden.