Back-to-School 2014: The Biggest Trends and Tips for Retailers

4. Influencing across the spectrum. Regardless of channel, there were clear winners in the influence department. Email promotions and paper catalogs get a lot of attention — almost 40 percent of all shoppers across channels. However, Amazon.com topped the list, influencing 50 percent of online shoppers and 36 percent of in-store shoppers. Therefore, if you've been afraid of Amazon's shadow in the BTS season, be confident that social, mobile and local strategies will carry the day, especially when complemented with your own effective merchandising and outbound campaigns.