Soaring inflation divides spending for haves and have-nots

At the high end of the spectrum, Nordstrom and Ralph Lauren reported stronger-than-expected sales as their well-heeled shoppers returned to pre-pandemic routines. (File Pic: People walk past Ralph Lauren Corp.'s flagship Polo store on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Reuters)

NEW YORK: Americans at the low end of the income rung are once again struggling to make ends meet.

A confluence of factors - the expiration of federal stimulus checks and surging inflation on staples like gas and food - are driving an even bigger wedge between the haves and have-nots.