Seth Ketron, assistant professor of marketing at the University of St. Thomas Opus College of Business, spoke with KSTP about the rising prices of school supplies, the impact on families with low budgets, and how to make a cost-effective list.
From the story:
Ketron recommends families take inventory of what they already have, make a list, and stick to it. “Think about what you really need and what would be nice to have,” he said. “You do not have to buy everything all at once. You can space things out.”
He also pointed to sales tied to holidays like Labor Day and end‑of‑season clearances as opportunities to save.
Ketron also said retailers who advertise early can benefit from “primacy bias,” meaning families may remember the first store they saw promoting back‑to‑school items.
He said AI is becoming part of the shopping process. “AI can pull multiple sources of information together and help point you in some directions that might be helpful,” he said.
He added AI can help families compare prices across retailers and discover deals they might not have found on their own. He also said parents should verify AI recommendations. “Ask it to give you specific links so you can make sure it is accurate.”
