This year has seen a boom in online Christmas shopping, with a spending rise of 20 per cent on last year.

With more of us shopping using mobile phones and other handheld devices, spending on the internet hit £10.1 billion nationally last month when the Christmas shopping frenzy got under way.

The growth in online purchases is certain to continue next year, with more consumers turning to handheld devices to shop.

Where once online shopping was the domain of gadget enthusiasts, it’s now mainstream, with increasing numbers of householders opting to avoid festive crowds and queues.

Black Friday – an American retail trend traditionally following Thanksgiving, which has seeped into the UK retail consciousness – led to unprecedented internet sales in November, as stores with both a high street and internet presence, such as John Lewis and Currys/PC World leading in online shopping.

Brian and Ruth Harrison of Baildon are recent, albeit reluctant, converts to online shopping.

“We both work fulltime and time just runs away,” says Ruth. “I’ve quite enjoyed Christmas shopping in town in the past, but this year we’ve had a lot on and neither of us had time to physically go out and buy loads of things.

“We turned to the internet for convenience. It’s not the same as getting out and about, and I feel I’m betraying local shops, but we bought most of our stuff in an hour. It’d take a lot longer trawling around the shops.”

Brian would return to shops if the experience was made more pleasurable. “Most high streets are just clones of each other. They need to offer something different to entice people away from the internet,” he says.

“I like the pop-up shops and Handmade in Bradford, as you get a range of artists’ produce and an individual touch you don’t get online.

“In the past, we’ve made a day out of Christmas shopping, going for lunch and drinks. We enjoy late-night shopping festivals, too. I think a lot of people still enjoy the ‘hunter-gatherer’ element of shopping – but stores have to offer something different to get people away from pressing a few buttons on their mobile phone.”

In Bradford, events such as the Christmas lights show which launched late-night shopping, have attracted shoppers to the city centre.

With extended Thursday evening shopping lasting until tomorrow, city centre stores have been urged to pull out all the stops to boost “crucial” festive trade.

Val Summerscales, Secretary of Bradford District Chamber of Trade, says the build-up to Christmas is vital for retailers, with sales often equating to two thirds of annual profits.

“Shops have to ensure they promote themselves as well as possible, with effective window displays and special offers, to fight back against out-of-town sites,” she says.

Shoppers at the Kirkgate Shopping Centre have enjoyed a Santa and reindeer parade, as well as the Santa’s grotto. Manager Catherine Riley has noticed an increase in festive footfall.

“Christmas shopping seems to have been in full-swing since October half-term,” she says. “It would be great if more people could support city centre retailers. It makes sense to shop local.”

While Christmas shopping is a day out for some, for others the crowds, spending and seemingly endless identical shops are enough to cause panic.

This year, friends Tracy Johnson and Victoria McNeill left online shopping at home and set themselves a “Shopper Challenge”, pitting smalltown shops with a major shopping centre. They had £100 to spend in Barnoldswick near Skipton and £100 to spend in the Trafford Centre.

“The first thing we noticed about Barnoldswick was the pace; it’s a much more relaxed approach to shopping,” says Tracy. “The town is made up of mostly independent shops run by the owners.

“There are markets in the square twice a week. There was a mix of goods on offer, from artisan foods to handmade jewellery. Around the edges were cafes, a florist, a vintage shop and card shop.”

The pair found everything on their list, including fishing equipment from a specialist shop. “The owner directed us to an appropriate present for a keen fisherman. I’ve never held a fishing rod, let alone gone fishing, so the expert help was a relief!” says Tracy.

Their total spent was £89.53.

“By the time we reached the Trafford Centre, I was fraught. The M62 road works wore me down,” says Tracy. “Once there, it took a while before we actually found something we wanted to buy. As the day went on, the crowds got bigger and navigating the centre got more difficult.”

Buying quirky presents proved more difficult for the pair, who endured “endless, unsuccessful searches” for some items.

“Most of the shops are general department stores or clothes shops, with few outdoors or specialist shops,” says Tracy.

After a final department store visit, which involved going to two different tills and a collection point, they headed for home “out of money, tired and facing a long drive back”.

The total spent was £99.75.

Their verdict? “We struggled to find anything specialist, and we got a lot less for our money,” says Tracy.