1006 ET - The middle class continues to shrink, Bob Nolan, SVP of growth science at Conagra Brands, says at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York conference. As a result, most of the company's growth is being driven by opposite ends of the income spectrum. The lower-income cohort--primarily consisting of younger consumers right out of school and retirees on fixed incomes--continues to seek value and look to stretch their dollars, Nolan says. These behaviors include limiting basket sizes and shopping meal-to-meal or paycheck-to-paycheck. Upper-income shoppers, on the other hand, are more likely to take advantage of promotions. "They've got the ability to invest when there's deals to buy 10 of something on sale, and they also have the ability to store goods in larger pantries," Nolan says. (connor.hart@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

February 17, 2026 10:06 ET (15:06 GMT)

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