- Prior month 1.7% revised lower to 1.6%
- Retail sales 0.5% vs 0.5% estimate
- Ex Auto 0.7% vs 0.6% estimate. Prior 1.9%
- Ex Gas and Auto 0.5% vs 0.6% last month. Prior month 0.7% revised higher from 0.6%
- Control group 0.5% versus 0.4% expected. Prior revised higher to 0.8% from 0.7%. The control group feeds into the US GDP
- YoY retail sales are up 4.9% up 0.5% from last month
The data for retail sales coming off a strong month, remained strong this month. Note that the retail sales are NOT adjusted for inflation. So if prices are going higher – and they are – retail sales goes higher. We know prices are higher and seem to be accelerating. .
What does the Retail Sales report measure?
The Advance Monthly Retail Sales report, published by the U.S. Census Bureau, provides the earliest monthly snapshot of consumer spending across retail sectors. Released approximately two weeks after the end of each reference month at 8:30 a.m. ET, the report measures sales at retail and food service establishments, adjusted for seasonal variation and holiday and trading-day differences but not for price changes.
The data serves as a critical indicator of consumer demand and economic health, tracking thirteen major retail categories from motor vehicles and electronics to food services and nonstore retailers. The report includes both headline retail sales and “retail control” sales, which exclude more volatile categories like autos, gasoline, and building materials, providing a cleaner measure of underlying consumer spending that feeds into GDP calculations.
This article was written by Greg Michalowski at investinglive.com.
