CONSUMERS ENTERING HOLIDAY SEASON MORE JOYFUL THAN GLOOMY WITH PLANS TO GIVE; GIFT CARDS TOP THE LIST

NEW YORK, November 16, 2009 -- Even after a year of recession, for some consumers 'tis the season for a rise in spending. A new survey from American Express reports that 10 percent of consumers actually intend to open their wallets and spend more on holiday gifts relative to last year and 43 percent plan to spend about the same. In the next 30 days, more than one in five U.S. consumers...