The great American supermarket faces some stiff competition. As the middle class continues to shrink, two new classes of grocery stores will emerge: one for affluent shoppers in urban locales that features experiential activities like wine tastings; and another not unlike grocery stores today, in more sprawling or rural markets with pick-up sites where customers can collect their pre-ordered products after work.
Because a 2015 study from Pew Research Center shows that while 62% of American households were middle-income in 1970, only 43% were in 2014, while the upper and lower brackets gained.
So who wins? Who loses? Walmart Inc. (WMT) or Kroger Co. (KR) may brave the tides, but smaller players will probably be swept away.
Oh, and then there's Amazon (AMZN) and its $13.7 billion acquisition of Whole Foods Markets in 2017.
But we all still need to eat, so let the games begin.
So check out this infographic and read our full story. But most importantly, take a walk down to your neighborhood grocery store.
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