Retailers from all sectors continued to expand their global footprint during 2008 despite the global economic downturn, reports CB Richard Ellis in CBRE’s 2009 study. The report surveyed 280 leading global retailers in 67 countries.

Key findings include:

• The United Kingdom remains the country which attracts the most international retailers, with 58 percent of non-UK retailers in the survey present in the country.
• Luxury retailers and those from the clothing/footwear sectors are significantly more international than retailers from other sectors.
• London is the dominant retail city, followed by Paris, New York and Dubai.
• Retailers from all sectors continued to expand their global footprint an average 12 percent during 2008 despite the global economic downturn.
• Over 40% percent of all new openings during 2008 were outside the home region of the retailer concerned.

The geographic regions that benefited most from this global expansion process were the emerging markets, with Middle Eastern, Asian and Eastern European countries dominating the list of new openings.

Download full CBRE report or read about Shopping Capitals of the World at Forbes.com.