Record Ground Beef Prices Finally Bite as K-Shaped Consumer Splits Wider
Retail sales data suggest record protein costs are at last suppressing volume demand, marking a shift from resilient pass-through pricing to genuine demand destruction at the lower-income end of the consumer economy.
Fresh retail sales evidence indicates record ground beef prices may have crossed the threshold from inflationary pass-through into outright demand destruction. The development reinforces the K-shaped consumer thesis and carries direct implications for casual-dining operators, packaged food and grocery margins.
SPECIAL REPORTBEARISH