Post-holiday clearance sales of winter merchandise and gift-card redemptions boosted January sales at major U.S. retailers despite snowstorms in the Midwest and Northeast that sent a chill through consumer spending at the end of the month.

As merchants began releasing their sales results Thursday, many retailers beat Wall Street expectations, including clothing retailers Bebe Stores Inc., Talbots Inc. and department store chain J.C. Penney Co. Inc.

Trendy clothing retailers like American Eagle Outfitters Inc., Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and Bebe Stores Inc. had strong sales and high-end retailers like Nordstrom Inc. also fared well in January.

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