IF the chaos Christmas brings to the High Street has put you off ever shopping again - help is at hand.

A new service has been launched which means you can bring the shops into your own home.

Shoppers' World is a new online shopping service from Newsquest, the publishers of the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

It takes the stress and strain out of shopping for everything from household goods to gifts.

Instead of trudging round the shops in the dreary winter weather, you can sit at home in front of your PC and let the bargains come to you.

And it's not only shops in your town you can choose from - there are dozens of outlets across the country available at the click of a mouse button.

Shoppers' World is a series of regional malls, linked to Newsquest's existing news and information websites - including This is Lancashire.

The Shoppers' World homepage (http://www.shoppersworld.co.uk) is your gateway to dozens of shops around the country.

The page offers you the choice of 11 regional malls - for Sussex, London and the Home Counties, Oxfordshire, Wiltshire, The Midlands, Cheshire, Lancashire, The Lake District, Bradford, Yorkshire and the North East.

Clicking on any of these malls will take you to a page listing the shops there.

In Lancashire, you have the choice of 16 outlets at present - and more are being added all the time.

A wide range of goods and services are available at the click of a mouse. In the Lancashire mall, furniture for the home is available from Davies of Accrington, and for the office from Bevlan Office Interiors Ltd. You can finish off the decorating with paint and wallpaper from Ovalworld.

Bliss Bridal Centre offers everything needed for the big day, with advice on bridal and everyday hair care products available from House of Hair.

For the latest technology, try Akhter Computers, or Etcetera, which specialises in software to allow you to record, create and produce music on your computer, as well as software which teaches you how to play musical instruments.

For gifts, try Dar-Pol Polish Handicrafts, specialist photograph frame outlet Frame of Mind, music store CD999, Toys Unlimited or Peter's Jewellers.

Hobkirks Sewing machines are available from the site, as are shoes from Newman's Online Factory Store and bike racks from Pendle Bike Racks.

Farewell Pet Cremation Service can also be contacted through the site.

To go into a shop, all you need to do is click on its name and you are in!

Using the department directory, you can browse through items for sale in specific categories, or browse the shop's entire online stock by using the A-Z index. If something catches your eye, you can take a closer look by clicking on it. You will then be shown a photograph of the item and given more details about it.

Ordering couldn't be simpler. Just specify the number you want, click on "Add to Basket" and follow the instructions.

You can order goods from any of the mall's outlets using the same basket.

Payment is by credit card and you can print out your own receipt to keep.

The items ordered will be delivered direct to your door. Delivery charges are set by the individual outlets.

Clicking on the Shoppers' World logo at any time will take you back to the homepage - and to the opportunity to start checking out other "virtual High Streets" around the country.

Newsquest hopes the new service will not only be a bonus for shoppers, but also for small to medium-sized businesses who want to take advantage of the boom in e-commerce but do not have the expertise to set up their own website.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.