Qwest to be sold in OfficeMax

Qwest, a long distance services provider, has been selected by OfficeMax to provide residential and small business long distance phone service plans. Consumers are able to sign up for Qwest long distance and Internet services while shopping for office supplies in OfficeMax stores on on the Web.

The agreement gives Qwest a national retail distribution channel to sell communications services at OfficeMax's 753 nationwide locations and complements an agreement made last year enabling Qwest to provide OfficeMax with private-label prepaid phone cards in various denominations at low rates.

John Taylor, Qwest's senior vice president for consumer marketing, commented that while some retailers may consider Internet and long distance services intangible, it makes sense to offer these services along with the devices that require them. "Service is a logical extension that completes the circle for the consumer. The retail setting is a good place to connect with the customer-at a place and time when the customer is interested in the product and therefore, in the service."

For retailers, selling long distance and Internet services requires little shelf space and little capital investment. Like offering a service contract on equipment, offering long distance telephone services allows dealers to provide a total solution.

Visit Qwest at www.qwest.com.