Back to school brings new challenges

Inflation has soared from 1.4% in January 2021 to 8.5% in July of this year, and parents are bearing the brunt of these increased costs as they face their annual back-to-school shopping trips — on top of the mounting costs for just about everything else they buy.

Retailers are being faced with increased wholesale costs, which they’re forced to pass on to consumers. For instance, at a local grocery...