Wider aisles.
A larger selection of organic produce.
Skylights that provide natural lighting.
Commissary patrons are enjoying their new 64,000-square-foot commissary at Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Fl. The $36 million facility is twice as large as the older commissary, which means that the aisles are wider and there is more space for specialty products.
The store features “extensive produce, meat, frozen, chilled and grocery departments, an international deli-bakery, a sushi-to-go station, prepared rotisserie chicken and a customer service kiosk with 2 check-outs,” according to a DeCA press release about the Feb. 2 grand opening.
The Jacksonville commissary includes 18 regular checkouts and 8 self-checkouts and a stock assortment of 18,000 line items. Outside there’s a covered drive through area for patrons using Click2Go, DeCA’s online grocery shopping service. Click2Go is currently available at only 3 commissaries.
DeCA Director and CEO Joseph H. Jeu said at the ribbon-cutting ceremony that the goal of the project was to construct a commissary where patrons enjoy their shopping experience.
Here are 3 features that commissary patrons are enjoying at their new commissary at NAS Jacksonville, Fl.
The Jacksonville commissary is the first commissary to have a Living Well Corner.
During his speech at the ribbon-cutting ceremony, DeCA Director Jeu highlighted the features of this new commissary, including its Living Well Corner.
The Living Well Corner, located in the front of the store, features more than 1,500 organic and natural-labeled products. These items include both frozen and fresh products. For shoppers looking for non-GMO, free-range, gluten-free and no-added hormone products, the Living Well Corner offers the products they want at affordable commissary prices.
Cmdr. Billy Bushman, noted that thanks to the commissary’s Living Well Center his wife would have more choices when it came to choosing gluten-free breads, according to a DeCA press release.
“My wife would shop this,” Bushman said. “I’m excited that the choices for gluten-free options have been expanded. This means more options for my wife.”
Commissary shoppers have repeatedly requested more organic and gluten-free options at their commissaries. The new Jacksonville commissary’s expanded selection shows that DeCA officials are listening to their requests and building facilities that appeal to this demographic.
Commissary surcharges financed the construction of the new Jacksonville commissary.
Commissary shoppers often question that 5 percent surcharge found at the bottom of their receipt. The 5 percent surcharge, which has stayed at 5 percent since 1983, is not a tax. The surcharge is a standard rate that every commissary shopper pays and the funds generated through this surcharge pay for facility maintenance and construction.
Commissary surcharges paid for the construction of this $36 million facility. According to the JAX Air News, “shoppers spent nearly $61.5 million at the NAS Jax Commissary in 2016 which includes a 5 percent surcharge.”
The Jacksonville commissary was built to LEED Silver standards.
Facilities on military bases are now built to meet Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards. The Jacksonville commissary features 154 skylights and light sensors that will reduce energy consumption at the facility. The facility’s energy-saving features qualified it for a LEED Silver rating.
Jacksonville’s old commissary will be demolished and turned into a parking lot later this spring. Once completed, this parking lot will have more than 500 spots for Navy Exchange and commissary patrons.
The Jacksonville commissary isn’t the only new commissary opening to shoppers in 2017. DeCA announced that the grand opening celebration for the $38 million Fort Belvoir commissary will be on March 30.
Very Good
Awesome! That’s surely a morale booster.