U.S.: Holiday Surprise: Shoppers Are Showing Some Pep

Americans have cast their ballots, and their decision is clear. A few dimpled chads and arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court will not dissuade them from having a happy holiday season. Early reports on yearend shopping suggest that spending may end up better than current modest expectations, although far short of 1999's free-for-all.

The season got off to a surprisingly strong start. Retail surveys show spending in the Thanksgiving week was up strongly from the previous seven days. TeleCheck Services Inc. reported that same-store sales rose 3.8% from a year ago. And malls saw customer traffic rise 6.5% from last year. Retailers will get help from the unusually long stretch of 31 days between Thanksgiving and Christmas, which gives consumers five weekends to load up on gifts.