NEWS RELEASE
Defense Commissary Agency
Corporate Communications
1300 E Avenue, Fort Lee, VA 23801-1800
Tel: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 8-6105 DSN: 687-8000, Ext. 8-6105
FAX: (804) 734-8248 DSN: 687-8248
www.commissaries.com
Release Number: 27-20
Date: March 18, 2020
Media Contact: Kevin L. Robinson, public affairs specialist
Tel.: (804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
E-mail: kevin.robinson@deca.mil
Commissaries adjust shopping limits, implement
‘No ID touching,’ begin 100% ID checks
and prepare for suspension of early bird hours
By Kevin L. Robinson,
DeCA public affairs specialist
Note: Go to the DeCA website to read this online.
FORT LEE, Va. – The Defense Commissary Agency announced several operational policies to help stores better serve customers during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak.
These policies include the following actions:
- Effective immediately, a 100-percent ID card check at all commissaries, so that only authorized customers – this includes disabled veterans with VHIC cards – will be able to shop. While this policy is in effect visitors will not be allowed to enter the commissary. This is designed help with social distancing and crowd control. Children under 10 with their parents don’t have to have an ID card.
- Effective March 15, to prevent customer-to-customer spread of germs, commissary cashiers no longer handle patron ID cards. Instead, customers will be asked to scan their own ID. Cashiers can use the handheld scanner if available or have the customer scan their own card.
- Effective March 19, all commissaries will suspend early bird shopping to allow more time to clean and restock the store.
- In a move to lessen panic-buying, the agency instructed its store directors worldwide to use their discretion in placing the shopping limits necessary to help maintain stock availability.
Rear Adm. (Ret.) Robert J. Bianchi, DOD special assistant for commissary operations, announced the shopping limits policy March 14 in response to a growing number of customers engaged in unauthorized purchases for the purposes of resale or hoarding.
The shopping directive, effective immediately, gives store directors more authority to quickly tailor shopping limits, as required, to keep more products available for more customers, Bianchi said.
“These decisions should not contravene or override any restrictions or guidance provided by installation commanders,” Bianchi said. “However, in the absence of installation commander direction, our store directors are now authorized to make local decisions as they deem necessary to control stock shortages through instances such as panic buying and unauthorized purchases for resale.”
From the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, commissaries overseas – starting with stores in Italy, South Korea and Japan – instituted shopping limits on items such as hand sanitizers, disinfectants and toilet paper.
As coronavirus fears ignited a surge of customer activity worldwide, it became necessary for commissary officials to counter panic buying to take care of all customers, Bianchi said.
“Now our store directors have the flexibility to institute shopping limitations if no directives exist,” he said. “They still must inform base leadership when they are implementing these restrictions, but they can use my authority to move forward.”
From a product availability standpoint, commissaries continue to work with their industry suppliers to support the needs of senior leaders on the ground at each location. This support manifests itself through increased deliveries to the commissaries that need it most. For overseas stores this means emergency airlifts of high-demand items to counter delays of shipboard supply containers.
“We know this is a potentially stressful time for all concerned,” Bianchi said. “But together we will meet these challenges and support our service members and their families throughout the duration of this crisis wherever necessary.
“We always recommend to our customers that they calmly purchase what they need and avoid any panic buying to ensure products are available for others in their communities.”
Preventing virus spread at stores
The “No ID handling” policy is just one of many actions stores are implementing to help prevent COVID-19 exposure, said James “Jay” Hudson, principal deputy director of DeCA’s Store Operations Group.
“We consider the health and welfare of our customers and our employees our No. 1 concern,” Hudson said. “Our stores are following the highest standards of the Department of Defense’s health protection. This means we’re using disinfectant cleaners to wipe down our checkout areas, restrooms and shopping carts frequently. We’re also ensuring our associates practice routine hand washing and other basic sanitation measures to avoid spreading germs.”
Hudson also said DeCA encourages its employees to closely monitor their health, and asks them to stay home if they, or someone in their household, are sick.
Commissary customers should continue to refer to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Coronavirus site for updates and guidance regarding this virus. Updates related to the commissaries can be found on DeCA’s Coronavirus page.
-DeCA-
Excellent decisions !!!
Is there any way I can find out before I drive 50 miles to the closest commissary whether items I need are actually in stock?
I think it would be better if they limit essential items one per household and if they try to buy more when it is time to pay at cash register it will not allow to scans those items when it exceeds the limits.
All the civilian stores are reserving the first hour to seniors, but you are canceling it?
Thank you.
I am a disabled veteran that uses a walker. I have a nurse assistant that accompany me to shop. Will she be able to enter the commisary?
Why not have specific shopping hours for the elderly, like most grocery stores are doing?
What are you doing for the older shoppers. Most stores are letting 65 & older in one to two hours before other people.
Disabled veterans with less than 100% can not get verified on line to use the coupon card. I have coupon card but customers won’t verify using the verification tool.
Won’t work for reservations for t MWR benefits either. No air lines, hotels Auto rentals.. disabled vet less than 100% have to travel to a MWR office to have them make reservations
Both of these can be fixed by having holders of VHIC use their card in system to validate.
As you know Retired Miltary and 100% vets use a different card that works for validation.
I am happy just using my VHIC to shop but but would be nice being allowed to use the benefits of other shopper groups.
anything you can do to resolve this
Is for your other customer group would be appreciated by all.
Thank you
Jim Monko 70 % Disabled Coast Guard Veteran
Disabled veterans with less than 100% can not get verified on line to use the coupon card. I have coupon card but won’t verify using the verification tool.
Won’t work for reservations for t MWR benefits either. No air lines, hotels Auto rentals.. disabled vet less than 100% have travel to a MWR office to have them make reservations
Both of these can be fixed by having holders of VHIC use their card in system to validate.
As you know Retired Miltary and 100% vets use a different card that works for validation.
I am happy just using my VHIC to shop but but would be nice being allowed to use the benefits of the other shopper groups.
anything you can do to resolve this
for your other customer group would be appreciated by all.
Thank you
Jim Monko 70 % Disabled Coast Guard Veteran
When will plants and flowers be available for sale at Commissaries at Carlisle Barracks? Will Exchanges also i sell them?
My husband (USA Navy Retired Master Chief) & I live in Texas & shopping at the Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana – not anywhere near Virginia.
Are Post Commissary’s still restricting non active duty Veterans from using until 1 PM.
Thank you for your leadership in this time of crisis and panic. Your guidance and thoughtfulness are truly appreciated.
The ID requirement and no visitors should have gone into effect a month ago. I watched people bring “friends” in and load their carts with items that were on short supply. This was really emphasized when we went to the commissary and the car next to us parked went to door and came back. Asked her if they has closed the doors and she said she brought her friend to buy groceries who didn’t have an ID card so they were leaving..
I know the commissaries are not well supported – I see young airmen downtown with kids buying at the more expensive stores. However, there is no incentive to shop there. I don’t think the organizations brief on commissary values or encourage people to shop there. I don’t even know who the commissary officer is.
The staff are nice and supportive and they all think the same way – where are the people on base, etc. who can shop here. I see mostly retired people who only have a certain amount of money to spend.. Only one or two cashiers are often on duty, t.he store is stocking patriot items which I notice are often more expensive (and NOT as good as regular things. For example,. Patriot choice oil was $2.99 while Wesson, etc. was 40 cents cheaper, the horrible Patriot choice beets were over priced at either 84 cents or 1.04 (bought them once and that was once too often while Libby’s at Walmart was 57 cents. I bought Patriot choice that small, hard and did not cook up right.
We buy our main groceries – about $125.00 a week at the commissary – we go to other stores downtown for stuff the commissary no longer carries or cost more at the commissary.. We used to get special items at a rock bottom cost on weekends but those have disappeared.
We seniors need TOILET PAPER, PAPER TOWELS, LYSOL DISINFECTANT SPRAY, GLOVES, MASK, HAND SANITIZER, AND SOAP. I agree, stop allowing non-Military in the stores.
Cab you tell me what store hours will be for those of us over 65 years of age at the Ft Jackson commissary in Columbia, SC?
At Fort Buchanan. Puerto Rico are not letting Retire military personnel and family to enter the base.So there is no use of coupons or savings
I SHOP AT dover afb, My wife does the shopping because I am 100% disabled, She has a card but my son goes with her because she is 75 and can’t pick up heavy items. What do I have to do to get him permission to shop with her
Are all commissaries restricting entry to active military only? Ft Hamilton turned retired disabled vet away at the gate