AT&T;, Shaklee Form Direct Marketing Pact

AT&T; Corp., in an effort to stem a decline in its consumer long-distance business, unveiled a surprise agreement with direct marketer Shaklee Corp. to sell phone services door to door. The move marks the first time Basking Ridge, N.J.-based AT&T; will let another company sell its phone services directly to consumers. San Francisco-based Shaklee, a unit of Yamanouchi Pharmaceutical Co. since 1989, sells nutritional supplements, personal-care products, and home-water treatment systems through its 500,000 independent sales agents. AT&T; shares were unchanged at $37.125 on the New York Stock Exchange. The companies said the alliance, Shaklee Connections, will use Shaklee’s independent sales agents to personalize the way AT&T; sells its services to consumers. Financial terms of the agreement weren’t disclosed.