The ecommerce sector of retail in the U.S. is growing, and the latest reports from eMarketer show that the rise in online shopping is evenly spread among various categories. In 2013, the overall retail market was worth $4.53 trillion, and is expected to grow by 4.4 percent in 2014 to about $4.732 trillion, as reported in eMarketer's first benchmark study of retail sales.

According to the latest ecommerce report from eMarketer, online sales will remain consistent for the next few years. In the category of apparel and accessories, ecommerce sales were worth $44.7 billion in 2013, accounting for 17.1 percent of total sales, and they're estimated to reach $52 billion this year. By 2018, eMarketer predicts this category will bring in $86 billion. While this number seems high, it will actually only be a modest increase compared to the overall retail sales for clothing and accessories, making up 17.5 percent of total sales in 2018.

Retailers can ensure their online sales numbers stay in line with projections by focusing on marketing and making sure their ecommerce software provides the features and support customers want from their online shopping experience. Offering a variety of payment and shipping options at the point of sale, for instance, could lead to more sales.