Retail Sales ex-Auto

Who: The Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce

When: Around the 13th of the month for one month prior

What: The Retail Sales Index measures the total receipts of retail and food sales. Retail sales include durable and non-durable merchandise sold and services and taxes incidental to the sale of merchandise. Sales are often viewed ex-autos, as auto sales can move sharply from month-to-month. It is also important to keep an eye on the gas and food components, where changes in sales are often a result of price changes rather than shifting consumer demand.

Why: It is the most timely indicator of broad consumer spending and is adjusted for seasonal variations and holidays. Big revisions to reports can be made even to old reports from several months past. Fluctuations in sales figures can occur because of price changes and not due to changes in consumer demand.