Consumers are not moving in lockstep according to where they sit in the K. High-income consumers can be more financially fragile than they appear, while lower-income households may be relatively stable, depending on their lifestyle choices and where they live. Whether the economy continues on its current K-shaped trajectory or the diverging arms of the K begin to converge, future success belongs to brands that stop chasing the shape of the K and start understanding the consumers living within it.

These popular stalwarts have weathered a history of challenging economic conditions. That’s the case once again this week when the retailer’s Q4 and full-year financial results not only exceeded analyst forecasts but did so with gusto.