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Wal-Mart Is Rolling Out Support For Consumer Electronics

By Karen Talley and Mary Ellen Lloyd, Of DOW JONES NEWSWIRES

NEW YORK -(Dow Jones)- Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) is rolling out a support program for consumer electronic products as the retailer furthers efforts in this area and times the move closely to the Christmas shopping season.

Wal-Mart's U.S. stores by the end of this month will be offering installation and support services for television, home entertainment and personal computer systems.

Prices range from $99 to $339 depending on the depth of service required. Customers will contract for the services through pre-paid cards the retailer is placing in its U.S. electronics departments.

Wal-Mart is undertaking the program through third-party services provider N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, which recently began providing similar services at Wal-Mart'sSam's Club stores and has supplied Wal-Mart with warrantee programs for the last few years.

N.E.W. Customer Services will coordinate the installations by setting customers up with certified service providers, said Wal-Mart spokeswoman Melissa O'Brien.

Wal-Mart has been absent from providing consumer electronics services like these, which have become very popular with other consumer electronics retailers like Best Buy Co. (BBY), which runs its "Geek Squad" in-house.

O'Brien said its program is competitively priced with those of other retailers.

"There is a customer that considers these types of services a benefit when making electronic purchases," O'Brien said. "Our idea was to make this offering simple and affordable for the customer."

Wal-Mart shares were recently down 1% to $50.12.

-By Karen Talley, Dow Jones Newswires; 212-416-2196; karen.talley@dowjones.com

  (END) Dow Jones Newswires
  10-22-091312ET
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