David Lishman is taking a final customer order for his premium whole turkey. In the trade it is known as New York- dressed, which means it is dry-plucked and then left to hang with head, feet and guts intact.

“It allows the bird to mature and develop extra flavour,” the butcher explains. “It’s worth it for the taste, which is exactly the opposite of mass-produced, factory-produced turkeys sold by the supermarkets.”

Lishman is one of thousands of independent local retailers up and down the UK relying on the annual pre-Christmas trade to help them survive against increasingly stiff competition from supermarkets and internet providers. This year Lishman – owner of Lishman’s butchers in the West Yorkshire town of Ilkley – can perhaps be buoyed by figures that suggest more shoppers plan to head to their local high street for their Christmas food.

Research for the digital marketing agency Wunderman, conducted by YouGov, found that half of the 2,000 British shoppers surveyed will shop at places they don’t usually do so for Christmas, that they are planning to steer clear of online retailers and that the biggest winners will be independent butchers and fishmongers. These were followed by Christmas markets, independent bakers and farm shops.

The findings will be well received in Ilkley where, over three decades, eight local butchers have dwindled to three – including Lishman’s – since the arrival of most of the major supermarkets.

Fresh mackerel in ice on craft paper. Photograph: Getty Images

“Let’s say we have had to change our sails to accommodate the wind,” says Lishman, who is national vice-chairman of the Q Guild of butchers, a group of more than 120 of the finest-quality independent meat retailers in Britain. “We can’t compete with the supermarkets with their fancy, expensive brochures and advertising, but we do offer top quality and value for money.”

He continues: “Christmas is hugely important to us commercially and the two weeks before it account for 10% of our total turnover. We do have customers that only come at Christmas but we are delighted to see them [rather] than not at all.”

Danny Lidgate owns C Lidgate, a butchers in Notting Hill Gate, west London. He admits he is disappointed when shoppers visit only for their Christmas meats but says: “The general retail trade is tough. We would encourage consumers to get to know their butcher, as they are a wealth of advice and can even help you save money.”

Charles Clewlow of H Clewlow Butchers in Nantwich, Cheshire, says that at Christmas he sells a lot of beef rib and pork, as well as turkey. “We find people bring in their recipes and ask for a cut to be prepared in a certain way. This service isn’t something you get outside of a butcher’s shop.”

Butcher tying beef tenderloin with string. Photograph: Getty Images

Hundreds of miles away in Devon, Nick Legg of the Fish Deli in Ashburton is preparing for what he describes as “a week of madness” as locals stock up with fish and shellfish for their Christmas feast. “We have good year-round trade,” he says, “and then I see a lot of people at Christmas I wouldn’t normally see, who might be feeling a bit guilty.”

He is expecting to sell high volumes of RSPCA Assured salmon, fresh lobster from Cornwall and native oysters from Falmouth or Colchester – along with fish-pie mix, “loads of smoked salmon” and scallops, turbot and sea bass for the Christmas centrepiece.

Shoppers who don’t have a local greengrocer can support independent vegetable growers by opting for a box delivery service, from suppliers such as Abel & Cole. It reports that 3,000 new customers have placed a Christmas order this year.

“One of the things our customers love is that we wholeheartedly support small suppliers and producers and help them reach a broader market,” says Hannah Shipton, managing director of Abel & Cole. “This year, our Christmas range is made up of 45 of our suppliers.”

Pip Hulbert, the chief executive of Wunderman UK, which put together the festive retail report, says that people turn to local shops at Christmas when they are prepared to spend a bit more on the best food and drink they can find. “It’s no surprise that specialist shops, like butchers and bakers, are a popular choice when shoppers have told us that a major gripe at this time of the year is poor customer service.”

Hulbert believes that supermarkets could learn a lot from specialist retailers. “Our research revealed that the biggest improvements shoppers want to see are for stores to recruit more staff, to provide an online stock checker and to offer more information about seasonal services.”

Back in Ilkley, Lishman is expecting to sell 300-400 whole turkeys over the Christmas period, though crowns and boneless breasts that need no carving are now more popular.

“Customers want short cuts and convenience, so now we make everything from the pigs in blankets through to ready-made stuffing,” he says. “We do all that and we do it very well.”