AI could have a big influence on local back-to-school shopping this year

Back-to-school spending is marked by a $147 billion total expenditure this year, with Artificial intelligence influencing how consumers shop for deals and recommendations. The National Retail Federation found that 26% of consumers are utilizing AI for suggestions, while another 26% use it to find discounts. Consumers are using tools like ChatGPT and Gemini as shopping assistants to help determine needs and best prices.