5 Back-to-School Lessons for Retail Success

4. Be social by encouraging sharing and collaboration. Purchase decisions are increasingly shared and influenced by friends and family using social media platforms and sharing tools. As Deloitte's 2012 Back to School report found, social sharing strongly influences BTS shopping decisions. One-third of parents use social networking sites to assist with shopping, and nearly seven out of 10 use them to learn about promotions and deals.