Despite a payroll tax bite that threatened to curb consumer spending, U.S. retailers reported strong sales in January. Still, these companies face difficult comparable numbers ahead — a headwind that could spark retail stocks to dip, one analyst told CNBC.
Overall, same-store sales rose 5.8 percent in January across 18 retailers, excluding drugstore chains Walgreen and Rite-Aid, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S. But retailers could face an uphill battle in the coming months.
In an interview with CNBC's "Squawk on the Street," Brian Tunick, JPMorgan senior retail analyst, said the strong spring sales figures last year sparked by unseasonably warm weather will be tough to top.