• by Sarah Mahoney  @mahoney_sarah, September 1, 2010

When it comes to power-shopping our way toward economic recovery, a new report from American Express says well-heeled young women are leading the charge.

"There's certainly more fearlessness about spending among younger, affluent shoppers," Ed Jay, SVP/American Express Business Insights, tells Marketing Daily. "And there's been pent-up demand. But what surprised us most is that the biggest spending increases for these younger women were for other people--on gifts, charities, and children--as well as on fitness."

The report is based on its analysis of 90 million cards, four billion annual transactions and $620 billion of total annual spending, and tracked spending levels before the downturn, throughout the recession, and then in recovery, which it defines as the last quarter of 2009 through the most recent quarter.