At the end of every academic year, students look forward to at least one of three events: the final decision pertaining to college or graduate admissions, graduation, and summer break. Having officially passed commencement season, students are settling into their summer lives. Graduates are celebrating a significant life accomplishment, prepping for higher education, and or transitioning into the workforce, and school administrators prepare the process to repeat again.

Sometime between the realization of these three annual events and the end of September, consumers and producers enjoy a unique time of year, “back to school.” Although birthdays, Black Friday, and traditional holidays present fun reasons to buy presents, back to school inevitably means that students need to consume goods. Adults have New Year’s Eve to make resolutions and idealistic life changes. Students have “back to school” to reinvent the way he or she is viewed by peers. Altering anything from study habits to wardrobe options, there are many different ways students consume in preparation for another, better, year.

Keeping up with the demand for the newest products, at the best prices, has pushed innovation in retail stores. Last summer, in Deloitte’s second annual back-to-college survey, Allison Kenney Paul recorded some noteworthy trends. One trend that is having a big impact on consumer behavior is the increase in importance of smartphones. Paul also points out that smart phones are primarily used for finding discounts and store locations. Mobile is a prime source to target college students.

E-commerce giants, such as Amazon, also cater to college students by offering free trials for premium services, like Amazon Prime, to college students. These services come with perks, including complementary two-day shipping. With discounts and free shipping just a tap away, it is no surprise that even text books are increasingly bought online and on mobile devices. Whether smart phones are used to research a future purchase or complete a specific transaction, it is indisputable that an effective online presence is crucial to promote and sell a product. Connecting with customers on the same platform, on which purchasing decisions are made, is the most viable option to increase brand awareness. Find out where your customers are looking for their “back to school” needs, and give your customers another way to find solutions.