City accounted for non-food sales of £64.2bn in 2010, beating top 21 shopping destinations in the world, including New York, Tokyo and Paris.
The study by Kelkoo revealed that London has the biggest representation of major global retailers out of any city, with 138 of these brands present on its high streets.

The UK's capital grossed £64.15bn in retail sales last year, accounting for almost a fifth of the total retail sales of the 22 cities surveyed.

Kelkoo managing director Chris Simpson said: "London is world famous for its shopping and has now confirmed its status as the premier destination for consumers seeking the ultimate retail shopping experience, holding off stiff competition from traditional rivals such as New York and Paris. The key to London's success appears to be the quality and quantity of shops on offer, combined with the revenue generated by the huge volume of tourists that passes through the UK capital each year. These factors helped London to gross £64.2bn in retail sales last year."

London also claimed the top spot when it comes to shopping online, with total internet sales of £9.92bn in 2010 - representing 15.5% of overall retail sales in the UK capital.

IMRG director of information Tina Spooner said: "It is no surprise to see London performing so well in the e-retail market place. The size of the UK's e-retail market is the second-largest in the world, only behind the USA, and the largest by far in Europe. In 2010, e-retail grew 18% across the UK and shopping online has become a major part of consumer culture."