STAMFORD, Conn.-Back-to-school shopping includes more than pencils and notebooks these days.
A new study shows junior and senior high-school students have consumer electronics, including MP3 players, cell phones and digital cameras, on their supply lists too, and when it comes to those products, teens hold more purchase power than their parents, according to research firm InsightExpress.
For instance, 35 percent of 300 teenagers surveyed said they decide which brands of cell phones to purchase, with 34 percent saying they decide alongside their parents, and 22 percent reporting their parents decide for them.
“Students are more educated not only in terms of what devices they want to own, but also which brands,” said Lee Smith, president and chief operating officer of InsightExpress. “Teenagers hold a tremendous amount of influence when it comes to the devices they select, and savvy manufacturers will recognize the opportunity this audience represents.”
