According to the retail press, online shopping for Christmas is expected to soar through the roof and consumer spending online to reach record high figures.  Shopping online allows us to avoid the stress of the busy high street especially for those of us with busy lifestyles.  However this can cause problems with the main online retailers who struggle to manage with this increase in demand. Consumers face long delays and the possibility of damaged items.  One way to avoid this is to steer away from the mass channels and order from smaller independent online retailers.