Apparel retailers are focusing on enhancing the online shopping experience by fine-tuning existing features, as well as adapting information technology and fulfillment systems to meet market demand.

On the back end, retailers have enhanced their channel integration by allowing flexible options for returning goods, and at the same time are gaining greater control of inventory, which translates to fewer ordering problems.

Meanwhile, on the front-end, improvements are focused on increasing sales and reducing returns by removing some of the uncertainties from online shopping and making the experience smoother. For example, e-tailers are making it easier to use their Web sites by improving search and navigational features and offering customers the opportunity to "try on" items through enhanced virtual models. Also, customers' security concerns are being allayed with the help of outside services that protect not only financial information, but other personal information as well.

By upgrading the overall online shopping experience for consumers, Net retailers expect to tap into this quickly growing segment within the overall retail industry.