You are a shopper in Southeastern Pennsylvania, South Jersey, or Delaware. You are still nervous about the economy. But for the first time in ages, it seems, you are embracing the Christmas cheer that comes with a cha-ching of the cash register.

Nearly half of local consumers asked about holiday shopping said they expected to spend more this winter than last year, according to a survey released today. Optimism about the economy also is up, the research found.

The findings from Deloitte's Annual Holiday Survey suggest that many local residents feel the worst of the recession may be over. But they remain cautious, as do retailers, which do not expect a tremendous improvement over last year's devastating winter revenues.

"We had the worst ever holiday season last year, so what you're hearing is it's not going to be worse than last year," said Tara L. Weiner, managing partner of the Greater Philadelphia Region for Deloitte L.L.P. "It's not continuing on this steep decline."

A similar refrain today came from bellwether chains Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Kohl's Corp., which posted strong third-quarter profits, but warned they did not expect gangbuster holidays.

"Our customers continue to tell us they are concerned about their own finances and employment," said Eduardo Castro-Wright, vice chairman of Wal-Mart.

Weiner said the sentiments of regional consumers, if they play out, are consistent with the firm's forecast for flat holiday sales compared with 2008.

In other words, things will not be worse than last year, but may not be much better.

More than half of people surveyed in late September and early October said they expected the economy to improve next year compared with just 27 percent who felt that way a year ago.

Meanwhile, 48 percent said they hoped to spend more than or the same as during last year's holidays compared with just 39 percent in 2008, after the fall stock market crash killed holiday sales.

But there is a catch: A close reading of the survey shows that shoppers do not intend to empty their wallets on presents. They will spend less and actually buy fewer gifts this year, Deloitte found.

And yet, on the bright side, many are planning to use the holidays as an occasion to buy things for themselves that presumably they had been putting off, including clothes.

Spending on non-gift items over the holidays is expected to boost overall spending by individuals 13 percent to $1,087 this year. That includes a 53 percent increase in what locals will spend to update their wardrobes, Deloitte said.

Weiner said that could be an uncorking of pent-up demand, particularly at the front end of a buying season when shoppers think assortments and deals are abundant.

But sales this year may be harder to find, given that retailers, damaged by last year's unexpected loss of customers, will stock less merchandise, she said.

This lowers the odds of being stuck with leftovers that then must be sold at lower profit on clearance.

"I am cautiously optimistic," Weiner said about the survey's findings. "We are, hopefully, at the point where we're stable and moving toward growth and greater economic outcomes than we've had in the past year or so."

But, she warned: "I still think it's fragile."