Details:
- Ex-autos 0.0% vs 0.0% expected
- Prior ex autos 0.0%
- Ex autos and gas +0.3% vs 0.0% prior (revised to +0.1%)
- Control group +0.3%% vs +0.2% expected
- Prior control -0.1% (revised to 0.0%)
- Retail sales y/y +3.2% vs +2.4% prior
This is January data, so it’s old news and it’s not going to change anything for the market as the focus remains on the US-Iran war and the surging energy prices.
The NFP report is also stealing the show with the huge downside surprise in the headline jobs number and the uptick in the unemployment rate.
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.
