The commissary is a consistent source of quality products at good prices. Shoppers know that they will be able to find the essentials, like milk and bread, as well as specialty products, like German potato dumping mix or Korean chili paste.
Now the commissary has even more value in store as they continue to roll out their store brand products.
Private Label Price Perks
Store brand, also called private label, products are offered at lower prices to customers. Stores offer brands developed in-house or through labels created with their retail suppliers. This helps to cut out the middleman and provide quality products at lower prices.
Major grocery retailers, like Giant, Walmart and Target, have offered private label products for years. These brands often span the spectrum of grocery items and dry goods, like toilet paper or disposable plates and utensils.
Recent surveys and studies indicated that commissary patrons were shopping off base in order to take advantage of sales and lower prices on store brands at major retailers. Approximately 20% of sales at these retailers involved their own private label brands.
3 Brands for All Commissary Products
The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) has produced 3 store brand labels, with their private label supplier SpartanNash, to encompass different major product types.
Freedom’s Choice is for food items. Right now, many commissaries are carrying bottled water and cheese under the Freedom’s Choice label. Other items available at stateside commissaries include cheese, rice and dry beans, shelf-stable juices, water enhancers and powdered soft drinks,
HomeBase is for non-food products, like household items and cleaning supplies. Commissaries are currently selling HomeBase brand paper plates and trash bags. Some stateside commissaries are also stocking foam and plastic plates, paper towels and bath tissue.
TopCare products cover medical and first aid products, dietary supplements and beauty needs. Many stores already have TopCare antibiotic ointment and acid reduction medication on the shelves. TopCare is not a DeCA exclusive brand.
Quality and Price
The commissary stands behind their new store brands, with rigorous testing to national standards. All edible products meet or exceed USDA wholesomeness standards. All products undergo extensive testing for quality and performance, according to the FAQ section on Commissaries.com.
Each product features a money back guarantee on their label.
TopCare, HomeBase and Freedom’s Choice are offered at prices that are competitive with national brands and products.
Product Roll-Out
Many stateside commissaries are already stocking many Freedom’s Choice, HomeBase and TopCare products. Approximately 400 products were anticipated to be on CONUS store shelves by the close of 2017.
Overseas commissaries are approximately 6 weeks behind stateside stores in stocking in-house brands on their shelves. This is due to time delays as a result of shipping products to military bases in Europe and Asia.
Products will continue to be added to the 3 core store brands over the next few years. DeCA’s goal is to produce 3,000 to 4,000 products in the Freedom’s Choice, HomeBase and TopCare lines.
As products continue to roll-out, the items available will vary between commissaries. This is based on size and location of individual stores. As noted, OCONUS commissaries will see new commissary brand items about 6 weeks after they appear in stateside stores.
I was very curious about the new canned products, so I purchased several of the new canned good vegetables. Amazing! And, guess what? They now will be the only brand I will buy (unless the specific food product isn’t offered)!
Well the so called store brands that the commissary is carrying now have not impressed me at all. We have tried a few of the canned vegetables. These tasted of a lower quality than named brand and there was only a five to seven difference in prices between and name brand, but the name brands we always bought were still ten to fifteen cents cheaper than local stores.
Freedom choice cheese is not very good. I rather use the Cooper again.
I bought and liked the Freedom Choice American cheese slices and liked them. Will continue to buy them. My previous brand of choice was Kraft.
DITTO AND SAME WITH THE TOMATO SAUCE HAS NO FLAVOR AND WATERY.
I just bought some cheese products and they are very good and fresh tasting. They also, cost less than the name brand ones.
You have to be very careful about what you buy with the store labels. I tried some of the non edibles and they left a lot to be desired. The same holds true at the local grocery store. The store brands are up to specifications but the name brand goes a little further. Sometimes the label on canned goods is the same ingredients found in the name brand canned goods. I worked in a fruit packing industry when I was a teen age kid and the top name brand at that time was Blue Goose. We would run Blue Goose and then switch over to A&P’s best. Same fruit, different labels.
I also tried the new cheeses. There was no flavor to them and didn’t like how they melted over my recipe dishes.. Please bring back the Cooper Brand.
There are some foods you cannot replace.
Have tried the TopCare and Freedom’s Choice products. No complaints from me.
I would be thrilled to have a commissary near me to shop. I miss being in NJ being near. Here in NC nothing close by. I always shopped at the commissary and loved the food and prices. I was grateful to have that convenience.
I live 45 minutes away from the Commissary. I think it would be nice to have a program like P-Pod or AmazonFresh that can deliver food items to those who do not live that close by. People can order online and have the food delivered to them that way.
Per the first statement in this newsletter, what commissaries in the NY/NJ region stock “Korean chile paste,” a.k.a. gochujang? I need to purchase this!
I wish every state has a store we could go and shop at. Like a Sam’s but no fee u just have to show your id. Just wishing.
I have tried repeatedly several of the commissary brands and I have to say I love everything I have purchased. I make sure to purchase their brand. love the products and the savings. I regularly buy the tomato sauce and find it is no different from any of the other brands. the cheese is also wonderful. especially the sliced mild cheddar great flavor. non food items are wonderful as well. even purchase vitamins and have to had any complaints about any of these brands cant wait for more items. pleased with it all!!