ENGLEWOOD, Colo., March 29 /PRNewswire/ -- Western Union Financial
Services, Inc., a subsidiary of First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC), and Publix Super
Markets, Inc., one of the nation's top 10 supermarkets, today announced they
have signed a multi-year agreement to offer the Western Union Money
Transfer(R) service at the nearly 650 Publix locations throughout Alabama,
Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. The addition of these locations
significantly expands Western Union's presence throughout the Southeastern
United States.
The five-year agreement comes on the heels of a successful pilot program
in 16 Publix store locations in Atlanta and Miami. Publix, which had not
previously offered money transfer services, received excellent customer
response to the pilot and will be rolling out the Western Union Money Transfer
service at the rest of its locations over the next several months.
"Publix has always sought to provide our customers with a premier shopping
experience. That means supplying products and services of the highest quality
and value," says Publix spokesperson Lee Brunson. "The positive response to
our pilot program tells us that our customers find money transfer a
significant added value and that Western Union is a name they know and trust."
"The addition of Publix to the Western Union agent network will provide
customers with even more convenient locations to conduct money transfers,"
said Mike Yerington, president, Western Union North America. "This
partnership is a definite win-win proposition. Western Union services have
the proven ability to attract repeat customers, giving Publix an opportunity
to increase store traffic, and the addition of nearly 650 premium locations
will significantly grow our agent network in the Southeast."
About Western Union
Western Union Financial Services, Inc., a subsidiary of First Data Corp.
(NYSE: FDC), is a worldwide leader in consumer money transfer services.
Consumers can quickly, safely and reliably transfer money at approximately
101,000 agent locations in more than 185 countries and territories using the
Western Union and Orlandi Valuta money transfer networks. Famous for its
pioneering telegraph service, the original Western Union dates back to 1851
and introduced electronic money transfer service in 1871. Western Union is
celebrating its 150th anniversary in 2001. For more information, please visit
the company's Web site at http://www.westernunion.com.
About First Data Corp.
Atlanta-based First Data Corp. is a global leader in electronic commerce
and payment services. Serving more than two million merchant locations, more
than 1,400 card issuers and millions of consumers, First Data makes it easier,
faster and more secure for people and businesses to buy goods and services,
using virtually any form of payment: credit, debit, stored-value card or check
at the point-of-sale, over the Internet or by money transfer. For more
information, please visit the company's Web site at http://www.firstdata.com.
About Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Publix is the largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the country,
with 2000 sales of $14.6 billion. Currently Publix has 648 stores in Florida,
Georgia, South Carolina and Alabama. It has been named one of America's top
10 places to work in the book, "The 100 Best Companies to Work for in
America," as well as one of the top companies in Fortune's recent list of best
workplaces. For more information, please visit the company's Web site at
http://www.Publix.com.
SOURCE Western Union Financial Services, Inc.
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Related links:
http://www.westernunion.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/138116.html or fax,
800-758-5804, ext. 138116
CONTACT:
media, Wendy Carver-Herbert of Western Union
Financial Services, Inc., 303-967-6416, or pager, 888-702-8254,
wendy.carver@firstdatacorp.com; or Lee Brunson of Publix Super
Markets, Inc., 863-688-7407, ext. 5339; or investors, Barbara
Marxer of First Data Corp., 770-857-7118,
barbara.marxer@firstdatacorp.com
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