Faced with long lines and slow service, Albertans are shunning the province's clerk-starved malls and clicking through their Christmas gift lists online.

Albertans, along with British Columbians, are the heaviest users of e-commerce in the country, with 45 per cent of internet users placing an order for goods and services online in 2005, according to Statistics Canada.

Scott Sanderson, operator of the website Shoptoit.ca, said his business has increased by 50 per cent over last year.

"The convenience factor is probably the biggest factor, but there's also an element of … I walk into a store today [and] I can't find people," he said.

Sanderson also said many shoppers say they enjoy the convenience of shopping from their own home at any time of day. He said online retailers have made great strides proving themselves over the past few years.

"It's very reliable process," he said. "I think people that have started online shopping over time buy more and more products online."

Albertans have proven themselves to be the country's most enthusiastic shoppers with retail sales growing by 16 per cent in the province over the past year, compared with Canada's national rate of six per cent.

Still, Canada's National Retail Federation has characterized the province's labour shortage as "severe."

Labour shortage stifles expansion

In September, six Alberta retail chains put expansion plans for the province on hold because of the difficulty in finding staff. The provincial government and the Retail Council of Canada are working on recruitment drives, expanding access for disabled workers in retail, and awareness campaigns for students of the possibilities of a retail career.

Some retail stores have created company website to make shopping easier. Terry Orr, of Source Boards in Calgary, said his company has enjoyed a boost in sales in its first year selling snowboard accessories and equipment online.

"Just think about it: You're sitting at your computer you don't want to go to the mall [or] the parking lot," Orr said. "You just want to order something and then boom, just like magic it shows up on your doorstep. What could be easier?"

Sanderson notes that online retailers are enjoying a boom right now but expect to hit a lull in mid-December when purchases can no longer be shipped in time for Christmas.