Why
the commissary doesn’t ‘double’ coupons
Commissary patrons continually wonder why DeCA
doesn’t ‘double’ coupons? The answer is
simple: Commercial stores operate at a profit by
marking up their items. By law, commissaries
must sell items at cost – not for profit. If a
shopper redeems a manufacturer’s coupon for 25
cents and a commercial store doubles it to 50
cents, the manufacturer pays the store only the
value of the coupon, which is 25 cents. The
additional 25 cents comes out of the store’s
built-in profit margin. Many local stores can
double coupons, knowing that while they may lose
money on a few items, they make up the
difference in their overall markups. DeCA,
however, has no such profit margin to make up
the difference for a doubled coupon, so
commissaries honor only the amount on the coupon
that the manufacturer will rebate. For more
information about using coupons at your
commissary, or to find coupons online, go to
DeCA’s Web site at: www.commissaries.com.
Online
coupons save time, money
By
Lynda Valentine, DECA
FORT LEE
,
Va.
– When it comes to using coupons to save money
on grocery bills, quit clipping and start
clicking by downloading coupons off the World
Wide Web! Coupon Web sites save shoppers both
time and money, and open shoppers up to more
products than just those being offered for sale
locally.
“Coupon
use is a great way for commissary patrons to
stretch their military paychecks even further,
on top of the more than 30 percent savings they
already enjoy compared to commercial grocery
stores,” says Patrick Nixon, Defense
Commissary Agency director and chief executive
officer.
If
you worry the overwhelming number of e-mails
sent by coupon sites will outweigh any cost
savings you might gain, follow this advice
suggested by numerous couponing Web sites:
·
Most sites offer the same coupon
“packs” each week. That is, manufacturers
make available the same coupons to all these
sites, so it isn’t really necessary to sign up
for every coupon site on the Web.
·
Before signing up to a coupon
distribution Web site, check the privacy
statement to see if your information is going to
be sold or forwarded to other companies. If your
info is going to be shared, consider creating a
separate e-mail account just for the free coupon
site. If you choose to use your personal or
work e-mail, be prepared for a deluge of
additional offers.
·
Many local newspapers offer the same
coupons online that can be found in their Sunday
edition, so you can get the savings offered
through coupons without having to clip the
coupons from the paper.
For
more information about using coupons at your
commissary, or to find coupons online, go to
DeCA’s Web site at: www.commissaries.com,
and click on “Links.”
Extend
Your Buying Power
http://dealcoupon.com
Online coupon codes that aren't time consuming
to find or use and work at most of the top
online retailers.
Wrong
Receipt at AAFES Worth More Than Just a Free
Drink
DALLAS
– “A few dishonest associates are stealing
your MWR benefit and AAFES needs your help to
stop it,” said AAFES’ Director of Loss
Prevention.
As
a military command with a retail mission, the
Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) is
constantly evaluating Loss Prevention measures
to maximize the annual dividend returned to
military Morale, Welfare and Recreation
programs. One Loss Prevention measure that has
been especially successful in eliminating
employee theft actually enlists the support of
PX/BX shoppers through the promise of a free
drink or other promotional coupons for anyone
who identifies an inaccuracy on their receipt.
“While
we have signs all over the exchange advising
customers of the offers, it is important to note
that this effort goes far beyond free beverages,
it’s really a critical loss prevention tool
that allows AAFES to partner with customers to
mitigate loss,” said Director of Loss
Prevention Col. Jorge Garza. “AAFES recruits
the customer, makes them part of the team and
provides a token of appreciation to those who
report inaccuracies. By taking the time to
review their receipt, these ‘crime fighters’
help protect their dividends and ultimately
strengthen the exchange benefit at home and to
our deployed warriors abroad.”
At
the beginning of this month, the
customer/associate partnership helped catch an
employee who had been ringing up 20 cent meals
as separate transactions not connected with meal
purchases. A shopper at the Fort Lewis Food
Court noticed the associate had under rang their
purchase and brought it to the attention of the
Food Court Manager.
When
interviewed, the associate admitted to using the
upgrade key to create a 20-cent charge, while
collecting money for a complete meal which was
later removed from the register. The resulting
AAFES Loss Prevention investigation found that
the Fort Lewis Food Court associate had stolen
$3,500 and given away $40 of free food since
April 2006.
As
a result of the receipt effort, the military
community will recover $3,540 through a signed
promissory note, and the potential for future
loss has been reduced as separation actions
against the associate have been initiated.
Furthermore, the Fort Lewis Military Police
issued a citation and the Federal Prosecutor is
reviewing the case for criminal prosecution.
“This
had been going on for months, but it took a
customer’s sharp eye to help us catch a thief
and recover funds that belong to the military
community,” said Col. Garza. “It is my
sincere hope that all authorized exchange
customers will follow the lead of our Fort Lewis
shopper and double check their receipts.”
The
sale of goods and services at AAFES operations
in 2005 aided in the return of $229 million to
military MWR programs. For 2005, AAFES paid a
per capita dividend of $234 for every Soldier
and Airman. “Every penny counts, in today’s
budget constraint environment,” said Col.
Garza. “Taking a few moments to ensure
you’re charged correctly won’t only get you
a free drink, but will also help maximize your
return on the investment through increased
dividends, potentially lower prices and more
importantly, it allows AAFES to go where
America’s warriors go.”
Cut
the “fat” by clipping coupons
Trying to cut the “fat” out of your budget?
How about clipping coupons? According to the
Promotion Marketing Association 76 percent of
the U.S. population clips coupons with savings
of $3 billion per year. Commissaries accept
manufacturer coupons, military only coupons, and
Internet coupons. The use of coupons combined
with overall commissary savings of 30 percent or
more means you pay less and get more at your
commissary. The Web site www.couponmonth.com
offers useful clipping advice and a spreadsheet
to track your coupon savings.
Commissaries
accepting Internet coupons
FORT
LEE, Va. –
Commissaries are again accepting
computer-generated Internet coupons with a
couple of requirements to guard against fraud,
Defense Commissary Agency officials announced.
This
week all 273 commissaries around the world began
accepting computer-generated Internet coupons
that meet the following criteria: they must have
a bar code that store checkouts can scan and
they cannot be for free product. Photocopied or
facsimile-generated coupons remain unacceptable
at all commissaries.
“Internet coupons are a popular medium customers use to save
money, so we wanted to work out a way to provide
this service. We’ve analyzed this issue and
these requirements should adequately protect us
against fraud while giving our customers the
kind of the service they want,” said Scott
Simpson, DeCA’s chief operating officer.
DeCA
as well as other grocery retailers had stopped
accepting home-printed coupons as an interim measure while the grocery industry
grappled with losses incurred because of their
fraudulent use. Analysts estimated the loss by
coupon fraud to be millions of dollars to the
grocery industry, which ultimately costs
consumers in the form of raised prices to recoup
losses.
Later
this month, the agency’s Web site, www.commissaries.com,
will re-establish links to Internet grocery
coupon sites for the convenience of commissary
shoppers.
