Results of an exclusive survey of 3,012 U.S. consumers finds shoppers compare prices in real time: 57% of consumers say they have purchased an apparel item online after looking at it in store. And nearly a third of respondents say they check prices online before heading to the checkout line in stores.

The 133 Top 500 retailers that specialize in selling apparel and accessories increased their online apparel sales by 16.3% in 2017 to just under $70 billion. They accounted for 21.5% of U.S. clothing sales in 2017, an increase from 18.7% in 2016. Add in Amazon’s apparel sales, which likely are in the range of $15-20 billion, and online clothing sales by other mass merchants like Walmart and Target and the Top 500 could easily account for 30% or more of U.S. apparel sales.

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