A monthly read on consumer spending, which is the largest part of most developed economies.
Dates come from the same table as the economic calendar, which is updated from the published schedule. Times shown are GMT; the calendar converts them.
| Published by | The national statistics office of each country |
|---|---|
| Usually released | Monthly, mid-month for most countries |
| Typical impact rating | Medium |
| Currency | Whichever country publishes it |
| Moves gold? | Rarely by itself |
The change in the total value of sales at the retail level over the previous month. Because consumer spending is the largest component of most developed economies, it is a timely indicator of growth.
The core measure excludes cars, and sometimes fuel. A single large vehicle purchase swings the headline in ways that say nothing about the underlying trend, so the core figure is usually the better guide and often the one the market reacts to.
Rising retail sales during a period of high inflation may mean people are paying more for the same goods rather than buying more. This is why the figure is read alongside inflation data rather than alone.
Holiday periods dominate. The figures are seasonally adjusted for that reason, and the adjustment is itself a source of revision.
What was published, against what was expected. The market reacts to the gap between forecast and actual, not to whether the number was good.
| Date | Currency | Actual | Forecast | Previous |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 Oct 2026 | CAD | — | 1.3% | -0.7% |
| 23 Oct 2026 | CAD | — | 1.1% | -0.7% |
| 23 Oct 2026 | GBP | — | -0.1% | 0.5% |
| 19 Oct 2026 | CNY | — | 0.5% | 0.4% |
| 15 Oct 2026 | USD | — | 0.3% | 1.2% |
| 15 Oct 2026 | USD | — | 0.6% | 1.4% |
| 12 Oct 2026 | GBP | — | 0.8% | 0.5% |
| 6 Oct 2026 | EUR | — | 0.2% | -0.6% |
Usually medium, and higher when a central bank is openly worried about consumer demand. The calendar shows the rating for each release.
Because cars are expensive and lumpy. One strong month of vehicle sales moves the headline without telling you anything about spending in general.
The one whose currency you are trading. United States retail sales has the widest reach because of the dollar.
The journal on this site records the date of every trade and compares your results on days with a high impact release against every other day. That turns a general worry about trading the news into a figure about your own record.