Beauty is More than Skin Deep: Organisational Strategies for Online Consumer Risk Mitigation in Apparel Retailing

Abstract

Buying and selling clothing can be a stressful and risky business for both consumers and retailers, even without the complications of e-commerce. Yet recent figures from the U.S. and from Korea show an increase in online sales of apparel. In this chapter we investigate the reasons for this through examination of the literature and research of best practice in a successful Australasian multichannel e-tailer. The chapter is organised in four sections. First we describe the apparel industry, and then we examine online shopping risks and their consequences, paying particular attention to consumer risks and consequences in the apparel industry. Next we present a set of organisational strategies that can mitigate customer perceived risk and conclude with six key strategies for success in online apparel retailing.