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Explore
the possibilities . . .
‘Discover
your benefit’ at Commissaries.com
FORT
LEE
,
Va.
– With a fresh academic year under way, students of every
age can add “check out library books and discover new
ideas” to their “to do” list. If you’re an authorized
commissary shopper, you can add “check out DeCA’s Web
site” and “Discover Your Benefit” to the list. While
students are marking key passages in their textbooks,
commissary officials say customers should be book marking
DeCA’s official Web site.
Commissaries
are kicking off a new educational campaign that emphasizes the
many benefits of surfing its Web site. The focus of the
campaign is newly enlisted service members and their families,
but promotional material with the “Discover Your Benefit”
message will reach far and wide into every segment of the
military community.
“We
understand the ways in which people use their commissary
benefit are expanding,” said Rick Page, DeCA’s acting
director. “Customers want convenience and the latest
information at their fingertips, which is what ‘Discover
Your Benefit’ is all about.”
Welcome
to the "World's Biggest Case Lot Sale"
Click
on your local commissary to be linked to the store's web page
where you can find additional store information including
phone numbers, contact information, local store information
and other upcoming events.
Always
check with your commissary for date changes or cancellations
before you go. Case lot sales may be cancelled due to weather
or other events beyond our control.
Commissaries
are not responsible for early sell out of items during case
lot sales due to high customer volume or limited product
availability.
All dates are in May unless
otherwise noted.
A B
C D E F
G H I J
K L M N
O P Q R
S T V W
Y
Ask
the DeCA Dietitian
DeCA
has retooled its Internet site to include fresh new graphics
that change with each season and a new section that promotes
health and wellness. The single biggest addition has to be
“Ask the DeCA Dietitian,” a nutrition forum hosted by Maj.
Karen Fauber, DeCA’s registered dietitian. Customers can
exchange questions, comments and experiences on nutrition
topics with the DeCA dietitian and other registered users.
Fauber says she is thrilled to be touching base with
commissary customers and hopes that the forum will encourage
an open-ended conversation about the very thing many of us
take for granted: good health.
“Working
with commissary customers is the best part of my job,”
Fauber said. “Nutrition science becomes really interesting
and rewarding when it is applied to everyday life and makes a
difference in people’s lives.”
Sales
and savings
DeCA’s
Web site helps customers make healthy financial choices by
listing what’s on sale and the “percent off” regular
prices in the “Savings Aisle” section under the
“Shopping” tab. “Customers can print a list of all items
on sale at their commissary, or just by category, and Internet
coupons can be printed from the ‘Links’ page,” Page
explained.
If
saving money is especially appealing to you, you’ll want to
check out DeCA’s comprehensive case lot sale page available
during the Worldwide Case Lot Sale events in May and
September. The page is particularly popular with authorized
shoppers who live a long distance from a commissary, but are
willing to make a special trip for case lot sa
les
, in which savings can run as high as 50 percent off regular
commissary prices.
Gift
certificates, online shopping, store info
Customers
can buy or donate commissary gift certificates through “Gift
of Groceries,” select from a large variety of gift baskets
and baked goods through “Virtual Commissary” and sign up
for delivery of general commissary news via e-mail through
“Commissary Connection.” Local store information is
readily available under the “Locations” tab. “Since many
of our customers move around, they can use the Web site to get
store hours and contact information, and even print out
directions to their new commissary,” Page said.
Kay’s
Kitchen
There’s
really no such thing as too many cooks in the kitchen, at
least not in Kay’s Kitchen. If you’re stumped about what
to prepare for dinner, look for inspiration here, where
you’ll find lots of quick, easy and nutritional recipes
using both classic and diverse ingredients from app
les
to zucchini. Bone up on kitchen basics such as picking the
right apple variety for baking or understanding organic
standards and food labels. If you have a kitchen-related
question, drop Kay an e-mail; her contact information is right
there in Kay’s Kitchen.
DeCA’s
Web site is a great way for commissary shoppers to discover
their benefit and stay connected to what’s happening in
stores around the world – wherever service members and their
families are stationed.
New
program nets higher-quality produce
Kevin
Robinson, Media Relations
FORT
LEE
,
Va.
– A commissary customer at Naval Air Station Oceana,
Va., scratches his chin thoughtfully as he surveys the sumptuous
garden of crop-fresh produce surrounding him. He listens in on
enthusiastic conversation among store employees and local
produce vendors as they discuss success of “the test.”
“A
test – I knew something was going on around here!” the
customer finally exclaims. “This produce is the best I’ve
ever seen in all my years as a commissary shopper, so keep it
up!”
As
this customer discovered much to his delight, when it comes to
commissary produce, the best just got better. A six-month
“local purchase” produce test in southeast Virginia’s
Hampton Roads area commissaries achieved resounding success
that should prove exciting to patrons, commissary employees
and produce vendors alike as the program launches worldwide.
DeCA’s chief executive officer and acting director, Patrick
Nixon, said the goal is to complete transition to a new way of
doing business by Oct. 1.
“We
never accept the status quo when it comes to our customers,”
said Nixon. “Our health-conscious patrons demand outstanding
produce at the best prices in town, so we’re ready to take
produce to a new level.”
For
customers, the “new level” promises even higher-quality
produce purchased from local farms at significant savings,
resulting in the freshest goods on the market, along with a
longer shelf life and a better price break. Since commissaries
sell at cost, all savings go straight into the shopper’s
wallet.
The
“new level” requires a break from the long-standing
tradition, however, of commissaries buying produce exclusively
from
Defense
Supply
Center
in
Philadelphia
, commonly referred to as DSCP.
“Although
DeCA has had a long and valued partnership with DSCP, we had
to go ‘outside the box’ with our total commitment to our
customers in mind,” said Nixon. “The test results were
exciting: substantial savings to the patron; better, fresher
produce; more promotional activity; Web-based ordering;
easier, faster bill paying; working with local and
veteran-owned farms; and management reports that let us review
and manage produce operations in a way we could never do
before.”
Nixon
said some stores hang a photo of the local grower in their
produce section. “It’s a source of great pride for these
growers to be providing their finest produce to our
patrons,” he said. “While transforming our produce
business represents a huge challenge, it reflects our
dedication to delivering the best benefit possible to the best
customers in the world – our nation’s warfighters, past
and present, and their families.”
The
Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of
commissaries providing groceries to military personnel,
retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping
environment. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a
5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new
commissaries and modernizing existing ones. Shoppers save an
average of 30 percent or more on their purchases compared to
commercial prices – savings worth about $2,700 annually for
a family of four. A core military family support element, and
a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries
contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life
for America’s military and their families, and help recruit
and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their
country.
‘Dollar
Days’ savings come to commissaries
By
Bonnie Powell, DECA
As
if bringing customers an average savings of 30 percent or
more isn’t enough, Dollar Days are coming to commissaries
in April. “Dollar stores are a growing trend in commercial
retail stores and we want to get in on all the fun as well
as offering customers even greater bargains,” said Patrick
B. Nixon, chief executive officer and acting director of the
Defense Commissary Agency.
Commissaries
in the
United States
kick off the new “Dollar Days” sales event during the
first two weeks of April with plans for a repeat performance
the first two weeks of August. Items throughout the store
will feature dollar pricing. Commissaries in Europe and the
Far East
also plan to participate in Dollar Days but the time frame
may not coincide with stateside stores.
“Customers
might see two-for-a-dollar deals, or even unusual deals such
as three items for two dollars,” said Nixon. “It all
depends on the items up for sale naturally, but the key is
in offering multiple items for even dollar amounts.”
Customers should look for “Extra Savings” signs in
stores that will show the way to Dollar Days savings
throughout their commissary.
If
the sales promotion proves popular with customers, Dollar
Days could be expanded to several times per year, according
to Nixon. Theme sales have proven popular with commissary
customers already. Many stores hold dollar sales or sidewalk
sales and DeCA currently holds two worldwide case lot sales
in May and October.
The
Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of
nearly 275 commissaries providing groceries to military
personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure
shopping environment. Authorized patrons purchase items at
cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of
building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones.
Shoppers save an average of 30 percent or more on their
purchases compared to commercial prices – savings worth
more than $2,700 annually for a family of four. A core
military family support element, and a valued part of
military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family
readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s
military and their families, and help recruit and retain the
best and brightest men and women to serve their country.
HEADQUARTERS – DEFENSE COMMISSARY AGENCY – CORPORATE
COMMUNICATIONS
Visit
DeCA on the Web at: http://www.commissaries.com
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