The term core retail sales refers to an economic indicator that tracks the month-to-month increase or decrease in U.S. consumer spending in most retail categories. Two monthly retail sales numbers are commonly reported by the financial news media—retail sales and core retail sales. Retail sales reflect the monthly estimate of all consumer spending, while core retail sales refer to all consumer spending excluding automobiles, gasoline, building materials, and food services. Prices for these products tend to be more volatile and skew the overall number.