By Pritam Biswas and Manya Saini Dec 10 (Reuters) – Credit card giant American Express' network saw a 9% growth in U.S. retail consumer spending around the key Thanksgiving holiday week, CEO Stephen Squeri said on Wednesday. For payments firms, the year-end weeks are crucial, bringing a predictable surge in shopping and travel. Holiday promotions, gift-buying trends, and trips typically drive transaction volumes higher, which directly boost revenue growth. Concerns that the season might be softer, after travel was hit by the longest U.S. government shutdown and broader economic uncertainty, were eased by American Express' spending figures. "The week before Thanksgiving to up to Cyber Monday, we saw 9% growth in U.S. consumer retail spending, and 13% growth in Platinum retail U.S. consumer

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