Behind those moves, too, perhaps, was a growing acceptance of the role of the off-price apparel merchant by suppliers, giving Mr. Shulman's buyers access to better-quality clothing.

But he is a department store merchant and an apparel merchant.

Being on the Internet, however, did not immunize Lands' End from pressures facing other apparel merchants.

The same goes for the online apparel merchant, Newport-News.com.

Those most unlikely to survive to 1997, they said, include some regional discounters and a number of apparel merchants.

Lands' End's effort to establish itself among the first direct apparel merchants to offer a comprehensive and, most importantly, "fun" - Web site.

Mr. Kowalczyk added that even the apparel merchants charged less for similar items than last year, trying to avoid excess inventory.

Yet the Midwest's second-coolest April was last year, and apparel merchants did splendidly then.

But some analysts and shoppers are suggesting that the stores, particularly apparel merchants, should point the finger in another direction: at themselves.

The advantage was speed to market, achieving the kind of delivery and restocking frequency usually associated with grocery stores, not apparel merchants.