Wal-Mart to get communications centers

The Canadian equivalent of Kinko's is teaming up with Wal-Mart Supercenters to open graphics and communications centers at outlets of the all-American discount chain.

Le Print Express International plans to offer services including duplicating, binding, laminating, and printing at Wal-Mart stores throughout the United States.

The first of eight centers scheduled for this year opened today in Lubbock, Texas, with 100 more planned by the end of 1997. "Wal-Mart is well positioned geographically in terms of our goals and objectives," said Roy Whiston, president of Le Print Express. "They are a very well established organization with an excellent reputation."

The purpose of providing this type of service in Wal-Mart stores is to reach out to the growing number of home businesses, Whiston added. "Home-based businesses are very difficult to locate because they are not listed in the yellow pages under H, and it seems very logical that a lot of home-based business people would be shopping at Wal-Mart," he said.