Consumer Spending
The K-Shaped Divide: Stock Market Riches Fuel Affluent Spending While Inflation Squeezes the Main Street Wallet
As of February 6, 2026, the American consumer landscape has fractured into two distinct realities, creating a "K-shaped" economic environment that is redefining the retail and service sectors. While a record-breaking stock market and robust asset growth have propelled affluent households to new heights of discretionary spending, lower-income