Return to Transcripts main page

CNN Saturday Morning News

Anthrax Anxieties Alter Gift-Giving Season

Aired November 24, 2001 - 08:18   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CATHERINE CALLAWAY, CNN ANCHOR: Fear amid the holiday cheer because of anthrax. This is the season for sending cards and gifts through the mail, of course. But for those worried about what could be hidden inside, CNN's Gina London reports on how this year's holiday mailings might be a bit different than last year's.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

GINA LONDON, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Sending out those cards this year with a twist, the holiday spirit combined with the feelings brought on by September 11.

CONNIE COWLEY, HALLMARK STORE OWNER: There's some real cute snowman cards with little flags. They're definitely Christmas oriented, but with a patriotic theme.

LONDON: Greeting card companies changing with the times. For other businesses, it's the traditional time of increased mass mailings.

(on camera): Now each day 680 million pieces of mail are moved through the United States and of that, 80 percent is considered business mail.

(voice-over): So while there are plenty of feelings of patriotism, with the anthrax threat still real, there are also feelings of fear. That's why Colorado-based Mail-Well, the world's largest manufacturer of envelopes, created the visilope (ph).

PAUL REILLY, CEO, MAIL-WELL INC.: If you look here, there's an extra window that's been added to this envelope and if anybody was to put any foreign material in this envelope, seal it, well, before the receiver would open it, they could see the foreign material on the bottom.

LONDON: Only about a penny more than a regular business envelope, already more than two million have sold.

REILLY: It is so important that the mail is safe because it's such an important part of our economy. It's a little bit like the interstate highway system. It has to be working.

LONDON: The safest way of all might be sending greetings online. But it's certainly not the most traditional. COWLEY: Oh, it wouldn't be the same if people were sending us their e-mails saying Merry Christmas. I don't know, you know, it seems to me that there is going to be a future for cards for a long time.

LONDON: Gina London, CNN, Denver.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com