SHOPPERS in Newport say the city needs a better variety of stores and improved parking if it is is going to win the retail war.

The views come in the wake of a report released yesterday which showed Newport has the potential to attract 2.2 million shoppers a year.

The city already has a resident shopper population of 167,863 and last year shoppers spent £640 million in Newport.

Ryan O'Neill, 25, of Hampshire Avenue, Newport, said there was not enough to draw people in.

"I don't think the place pulls anybody in because it looks a state," he said. "If there was some kind of decent shopping centre like there is in Cwmbran or Cardiff it would pull people in."

Regeneration bosses have said the future will be brighter with the planned £200million facelift they say will transform the city.

But Bernard Smith, 71, of Stamford Road, Newport, said re-development work should have been done 10 to 20 years ago.

"I would like to see somebody make this town interesting so that shoppers want to come here," he said.

The survey, compiled by GeoBusiness Solutions and property experts King Sturge show Cardiff and Swansea pull in many more potential shoppers.

Gillian Davies, 59, of Ringland, Newport, said shoppers were bypassing the city because of its lack of variety.

"There are too many pound shops and charity shops here," she said. "People are going to places which are bigger and better for shops and where they can park for free."

Jayne Summers, 41, of Ennerdale Court, Newport, agreed. She said: "There are no decent shops here. If we had decent shops and better car parking more people would come. They would rather go to Cardiff where there is more variety."

Mo Dinham, 41, of Pembroke Road, Chepstow, said more car parking was needed.

"I don't think more than two million people would come here at the moment," she said.

"Maybe more will come when the re-development work is finished." Albert Johnson, 74, of Rogerstone, said: "There is not enough variety here and a lot of stores are outside the city which is difficult for people who don't have cars."

The survey looked at the potential number of shoppers in a catchment area defined by a number of factors including drive-time, competing attractions and distance.