Executive Summary (This is a document excerpt)

The online channel continues to play a significant role in the strategic plans of business-to-consumer (B2C) companies. The retail and travel piece of B2C eCommerce alone now tops $200 billion, with little sign of abatement. The industry promises to grow at a double-digit pace for the foreseeable future. Forrester's research in the online retail channel focuses on the drivers of this growth, including consumer adoption of online/multichannel shopping, best practices for executing a superior eCommerce experience for consumers, and future trends like user-generated content that promise to reshape what and how retailers sell online.