Analysis: Amazon Has a Prime Edge Over Walmart: Richer Customers

Analysis: Amazon Has a Prime Edge Over Walmart: Richer Customers
Packaged products are scanned at an Amazon Fulfilment Center in Tracy, Calif., on Aug. 3, 2015. Robert Galbraith/Reuters
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NEW YORK—Amazon Inc.’s strong quarterly performance on Thursday offered another sign of a split in shopping patterns between more- and less-affluent Americans dealing with the highest inflation in four decades.

On Monday, rival Walmart Inc., which caters to a more cost-conscious customer, slashed its second-quarter profit forecast, blaming a shift in consumer spending towards more low-margin food products over apparel and other general merchandise.