CBRE mapped the global portfolios of 280 of the world’s top retailers across 67 countries, and found that the 58 per cent of the global brands were present there. And over the past year the UK has moved further ahead of other major European economies such as Spain, France, Germany and Italy.

Further afield, emerging economies such as China, Russia and the United Arab Emirates have gained significant ground in the past 12 months. But the United States remains relatively unattractive to international brands with only 39 per cent representation putting it in 10th position globally.

Peter Gold, Head of EMEA cross border retail at CBRE said: ”Despite the global economic slowdown, many retailers, especially cash-rich private companies, have continued their expansion plans throughout the past 12 months. Our survey of 280 retailers saw retailers expand their international presence by an average of 12 per cent in the past year. This was primarily driven by clothing, footwear and accessories retailers from Europe.”