3 Consumer Staples Stocks With Pricing Power As Inflation Stays High

Inflation is no longer just a headline story; it is reshaping how consumers spend and how companies earn their keep. With fuel costs tied to the Strait of Hormuz closure feeding through to higher reported inflation and a tougher Federal Reserve stance, investors are hunting for businesses that can hold their ground when money stays expensive. This article walks through three stocks exposed to this inflation shock that screen as potential relative winners and explains what might be working in their favor right now.

The three inflation-resilient stocks highlighted below are just a starting sample, and the full screen surfaced 15 more U.S. consumer staples and discount retailers with equally compelling stories that are not covered here. To identify and analyze those additional opportunities, head straight into the U.S. Inflation-Resilient Consumer Staples and Discount Retailers screener.

J&J Snack Foods (JJSF)

Overview: J&J Snack Foods produces pretzels, churros, frozen novelties, bakery items and frozen beverages that cater to everyday, inflation-resilient snacking habits.

Operations: J&J Snack Foods generates about US$947 million from Food Service, US$364 million from Frozen Beverages and US$214 million from Retail Supermarkets, mostly in the United States.

Market Cap: US$1.6b

J&J Snack Foods fits this inflation-resilient screen because it sells affordable treats that consumers keep buying even when budgets feel tight, and management is trying to use that steady demand to reshape the business toward higher margin categories.

"Ongoing execution of Project Apollo and plant consolidation, which has already taken the annualized savings run rate to at least US$25m and contributed to Q3 FY26 gross margin of 35.5%, sets up further operating leverage that can benefit net margins and earnings as sales stabilize."

What really matters from here is whether one underappreciated cost pressure quietly chips away at the margin story investors are counting on.

If that hidden cost line matters to your thesis, read the full narrative for J&J Snack Foods to see how J&J Snack Foods' inflation play could be accelerating beyond the headline margins.

Lamb Weston Holdings (LW)

Overview: Lamb Weston Holdings produces and sells frozen potato products that feed everyday meals across restaurants, retailers, and foodservice customers globally.

Operations: Lamb Weston generates about US$4.5b from North America and US$2.2b from International operations, anchoring revenue in large, staple markets.

Market Cap: US$7.6b

Lamb Weston Holdings fits an inflation-resilient staples screen because fries and potato sides are everyday menu items. Pricing decisions on those plates can gradually offset higher input and financing costs when rates stay elevated.

"The call now places the cause on supply. Mike Smith calls the European crop “a tale of two years,” argues that raw potato quality and yield “is likely going to be the limiter,” and says “not all open industry capacity will be used.”

What investors really need to watch is how one unresolved cost and capacity pressure filters through to future pricing power and profitability.

That unresolved pressure is exactly where the story gets interesting, and the full narrative for Lamb Weston Holdings maps how Lamb Weston turns crop constraints into pricing power and earnings potential.

Colgate-Palmolive (CL)

Overview: Colgate-Palmolive makes everyday oral, personal, home care and pet nutrition essentials that anchor the screener’s inflation-resilient staples theme.

Operations: Colgate-Palmolive generates about US$5.1b from Latin America, US$4.7b from Pet Nutrition, US$4.0b from North America and US$2.9b from Asia Pacific.

Market Cap: US$77.6b

Colgate-Palmolive fits this inflation-resilient consumer staples screen because households keep buying toothpaste, soap and pet food even when budgets tighten. Premium brands can support pricing power when inflation and rates stay higher for longer.

"Expansion and premiumization of core oral care lines like Colgate Total, now supported by a broader push into premium Oral, Home and Personal Care offerings such as Optic White Pro Series, Fabuloso sprays and premium Palmolive dish pumps, aims to lift pricing power and mix, which can support revenue growth and gross margin."

The real pivot for Colgate-Palmolive is how one pressure point in the portfolio shapes whether that pricing story fully reaches margins.

That pressure point is exactly where Colgate-Palmolive’s story starts to shift, and the full narrative for Colgate-Palmolive shows whether premiumisation is accelerating or masking deeper risks.

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