DERBY has moved up 42 places in the national retail rankings since 2007, according to a new study.

It has also overtaken Nottingham in the percentage of shoppers it attracts from areas that fall into both cities' catchment areas to the west of the M1.

The league table and new statistics, produced by independent research body CACI, shows the city is now on the verge of the top 30 UK shopping destinations.

Judged on spending in the city's shops, Derby is now six places above Oxford and just behind Sheffield and Kingston-upon-Thames.

About £681m is spent annually in Derby, compared to £687.7 in Kingston-upon-Thames and £691.2 in Sheffield.

In areas where Derby and Nottingham compete for shoppers, Derby attracts 23.3% while Nottingham attracts 21.6%.

The new statistics were unveiled alongside Marketing Derby's 2009 report at its annual review.

Addressing Derby's business community, John Forkin, director of Marketing Derby, said: "These statistics will be used in our new Quality City: Quality Opportunity campaign to promote the business case for retailers looking to move to Derby.

"The big rise in Derby's retail league table position in the last two years is largely down to the Westfield effect which has also meant that more people are choosing to shop in Derby rather than Nottingham.

"More people from places between the two cities, such as Ilkeston, Ripley and Alfreton, are now coming to Derby," said Mr Forkin.

Guests at Marketing Derby's annual review were also told of the organisation's strategy to use the recession as an opportunity to promote the city so that it is placed as a location of choice once the economy recovers.

Mr Forkin said: "We have come a long way in just two years and we have to keep the momentum going through and beyond the recession.

"The statistics we have enable us to change perceptions of the city on the basis of reality rather than spin," he said.

Guests also heard about developments in Derby Cityscape's master plan to attract £2bn of investment to the city.

A short film promoting Derby's bid to host World Cup matches in 2018 was shown, along with an alternative view of the city from Derby filmmaker Tom Wadlow.

Footage was also shown of the edition of Newsnight when Jeremy Paxman asked why other UK cities were not like Derby.

Mr Forkin said: "The national media has picked up on the messages that we are trying to get across about Derby.

"There have been substantial features in The Economist and the Financial Times which have singled the city out as a place with a diverse economy – which makes it different from elsewhere."

Derby City Council chief executive Adam Wilkinson spoke of his plans for the city, including a focus on regeneration and the launch of a significant leisure strategy.

He said: "Within Derby's DNA is innovation and the application of innovation – and this is as true now as it was two or three hundred years ago."