South Korea's retail sales index fell 2.3 percent on the month in April after an increase of 0.1 percent in March with year-over-year growth weakening from an increase of 0.1 percent to a decline of 1.1 percent. Sales of consumer durables were stronger than headline sales, with year-over-year growth slowing from 2.5 percent in March to 0.4 percent in April.

Officials also publish a separate report on sales for 25 large retailers. This showed a moderation in year-over-year growth from 6.4 percent in March to 4.0 percent in April. The strength in growth in March reflected base effects of weakness twelve months previously that was largely driven by the impact of public health restrictions. Solid sales growth for department stores, online platforms, and convenience stores in April were offset by a decline in sales of electronic and other household items.

Retail Sales measure the total receipts at stores that sell durable and nondurable goods. The data are part of the Monthly Industrial Statistics report.

With consumer spending a large part of the economy, market players continually monitor spending patterns. The pattern in consumer spending is often the foremost influence on stock and bond markets. For stocks, strong economic growth translates to healthy corporate profits and higher stock prices. For bonds, the focus is whether economic growth goes overboard and leads to inflation. Ideally, the economy walks that fine line between strong growth and excessive (inflationary) growth.

Retail sales not only give you a sense of the overall picture, but also the trends among different types of retailers. Especially strong apparel or electronics sales can indicate strength in those industries, for example. These trends from the retail sales data can help you spot specific investment opportunities, without having to wait for a company's quarterly or annual report.