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Markets & hours

Retail sales

Retail sales measure the total value of goods sold by shops and other retailers, including online stores, and are used to follow consumer spending. In the United States the Census Bureau publishes them monthly; Mexico's INEGI publishes its own retail figures, also monthly. Major releases can coincide with higher volatility and wider spreads.

Also called: retail sales report, consumer spending, advance retail sales

Hypothetical example

Hypothetically, retail sales total 700 billion in one month and 703.5 billion the next: a rise of 0.5%.