Military Life News

Military Life News, Commissary Rewards and Military Discounts

Why the Commissary Bagger Topic Struck a Nerve

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Bagger-free checkout lanes at your commissaries are quite the hot topic.

In response to a recently published article about these checkout lanes, many readers wrote comments with their opinions on having baggers or not. Don’t panic if you didn’t read the article yet. DeCA, the Defense Commissary Agency that oversees commissaries, is not doing away with baggers at this time. They are simply adding bagger-free checkout lanes at commissaries because customers asked for this option.

We asked for your opinion on having your groceries bagged and there wasn’t a shortage of answers.

DeCA does a lot of listening. When customers make suggestions for changes at the commissaries, they really do take them into consideration. DeCA’s vision is to

Understand our Customers and Deliver a 21st Century Commissary Benefit.

They want to know what patrons would want to see changed or improved upon at their commissaries. When they had shoppers ask for bagger-free checkout lanes, they responded. Commissaries across the country started offering bagger-free checkout lanes alongside the traditional checkout lanes.

Commissary managers receive input from shoppers on a daily basis.

Why the Commissary Bagger Topic Struck a Nerve

DeCA is always listening to your suggestions. They want to improve your shopping experience at the commissary.

One of the popular requests is to increase the natural and organic section. Many Americans are becoming more health conscious. They read nutrition labels and want to know that what they are buying is healthy. There are grocery store chains that offer large natural and organic sections and some that have made the transition to offering only these products. If commissaries want to compete for customers, they’ll need to meet these needs.

Along the same lines, there are millions of Americans that have special diets. Food allergies are prevalent. Patrons have said that they would do more shopping at commissaries if there were more options available for these special dietary needs.

Dairy allergies for example are very common now. While commissaries offer dairy-free products, their selection is still very limited. Shoppers have asked for a larger selection to include dairy-free cheese, yogurt and sour cream. Customers have also said that there are very little wheat- and soy-free options in the frozen foods department.

Another suggestion that has been made to help commissaries keep up with today’s shoppers is to add online ordering for curbside pickup. Many grocery stores now offer this option. Online ordering, like Click2Go, is a huge convenience to be able to order your groceries and simply pick them up.

If the commissary wants to attract more shoppers, online grocery shopping is a sure way to get them.

What many patrons who have suggested this do not know, is that there are commissaries already testing this out. The pilot test done at these commissaries turned out to be so popular that the program is going to continue at those facilities. Hopefully, DeCA will roll that option out to more commissaries in the near future.

One last request is to offer home delivery of groceries from commissaries. Many people have turned to Amazon Fresh and Peapod for their needs. Having groceries sent right to your home would certainly be a 21st century shopping experience.

Home delivery would be a huge undertaking for commissaries of course, but it would bring a large customer basis to the wonderful commissary benefit that veterans have earned. Shopping at the commissary is a great benefit that many veterans and their families are not taking full advantage of. Adding home delivery would increase the number of people using the commissary benefit.

DeCA is always listening to your suggestions. They want to improve your shopping experience at the commissary. Many additions and changes have been made over the years thanks in part to patrons talking to the management team at commissaries.

If you have a suggestion, speak up. Your voice could be the one that makes the changes happen.

What changes would you like to see at your commissary? Tell us in the comments section.

Commissaries and Exchanges Start Linking Promotions, Sales

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DeCA and AAFES are working together to maximize their reach by linking their promotions and sales during April.

One hundred qualified patrons will win $300 in free groceries from their on-base commissaries. Altogether $30,000 in gift cards will be given away to commissary and exchange patrons during these promotions.

Joint Promotions Benefit AAFES, DeCA Patrons

This decision to link promotions between the commissaries and exchanges, including online exchange sites, follows an earlier move that allows Military Star Card members to use this card in either location. Prior to this, patrons could not use their Military Star Card at the commissary.

In order to enter the Fill Your Fridge Sweepstakes, patrons must make 2 purchases each at the exchange and commissary between April 1 and April 30. This contest is open to Military Star Card users worldwide. Shoppers can make qualifying purchases at Army and Air Force, Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard exchanges; ShopMyExchange.com; MyNavyExchange.com; ShopCGX.com; exchange concessionaires and the commissary.

This promotion makes the connection between quality nutrition and scholastic success for military children.

“Nutrition is foundational to military children’s educational success, and $300 in free groceries from your local commissary would certainly help build on that foundation,” said Air Force Chief Master Sgt. Luis Reyes, exchange senior enlisted advisor, in a press release. “We are honored to partner with the commissary to recognize the contributions of military kids worldwide with this sweepstakes.”

The Fill Your Fridge Sweepstakes is being held in conjunction with the Month of the Military Child. This annual event held during April honors the sacrifices of military children.

Military exchanges support military children year round through their You Made the Grade program. Military children receive a coupon booklet in exchange for an overall “B” average on their report card.

AAFES and DeCA Support the Month of the Military Child

In further support of the Month of the Military Child, there are additional events and promotions at both exchanges and commissaries on military bases around the world.

A coloring contest will be held at participating commissaries throughout the month of April. Patrons can inquire at their local commissary for more information about this contest.

There are also several ongoing sweepstakes beyond Fill Your Fridge. Exchange patrons can enter for these sweepstakes by logging into their ShopMyExchange account. Prizes include toys, backpacks and exchange gift cards.

Additionally, military children 18 years old and younger, can earn a free snack at select military exchange food courts. On April 18, military children should wear purple to their military exchange food court to qualify for a free treat. This could include side item, fountain beverage or dessert.

More Cross Promotions in the Future

Working together, DeCA and AAFES have the potential to increase the benefit to their customers. Through the Military Star Card connected Fill Your Fridge Sweepstakes, patrons have the chance to win nutritional food. The additional sweepstakes for toys, backpacks, and gift cards offers patrons an additional way to show support for military children this month. Military children can also earn rewards for good grades year round!

AAFES and DeCA’s new cross-promotions show support for military children. In addition, expanding options for patrons to use Military Star cards at both locations increases the shopping options on base.

Exchange and commissary patrons should anticipate further collaborative promotions and sales.

What do you think of the collaboration between the commissaries (DeCA) and the exchanges (AAFES) for the Month of the Military Child?

Will You Use the ‘No Bagger’ Lane at Your Commissary?

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Every Sunday hubby and I peruse the aisles of the commissary. We cross items off our list, but inevitably end up in the checkout lane with way more than we had planned on buying. Somehow the 3 teenagers who call our house home never fail in depleting our pantry.

We toss our canvas bags up onto the conveyor belt and try to put like items up to be bagged together: first the refrigerated stuff, then the boxes and cans, followed by produce, and then all of the fragile items like bread and eggs.

In an off-base grocery store, one of us would be quick to take up a fighting position down at the bagging area, carefully arranging our groceries to facilitate the quickest dispersal into our cabinets and refrigerator.

At the commissary bagging our groceries has never been an option…until now.

The Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) began a test run of checkout lanes with no baggers in January after receiving customer feedback requesting it. At 121 commissaries shoppers have the option to choose a lane where they bag their own groceries. Differing from the self-checkout lanes, which have long since been available, these lanes will still have a dedicated cashier to ring your groceries up for you.

I haven’t seen this option at our commissary, but even so, I’m a little torn about the idea.

While my husband and I like bagging our own groceries at off-base grocery stores, tipping a bagger at the commissary is a military community tradition.

Baggers have been a part of the commissary “experience” for as long as I can remember. Even growing up overseas as an Air Force brat, I remember the nice ladies and teenagers who walked with us out to the car and helped to load the bulk of our weekly foraging.

What I didn’t know as a kid is that all commissary baggers, most of whom are retirees, military spouses and military dependents, are independent contractors.

As such, they do not add to the cost of running the commissary in any way, but that doesn’t mean, of course, that they offer their services for free.

Admittedly, there was a time, back when we were a younger military family, that even a few extra dollars each week had an impact. I can’t tell you how many times I had to to scrounge for quarters or crumpled up dollar bills to tip the nice kid who loaded up the back of my car while I tried to wrangle my kids into their car seats. I am sure there was more than one occasion when I was angry and frustrated at having to offer some kind of payment, even though, technically, it’s not required. And it would have been a commissary etiquette faux pas to ask them not to bag my haul.

But now, thanks to many years of hard work and progression in our chosen careers, hubby and I can certainly afford to pass a five-spot to the retiree or high school student trying to make a few extra bucks during the weekend shopping rush.

When you consider that the average check out experience probably runs about 10 to 12 minutes, I’d wager baggers are making about $10 to 15 per hour, a reasonable wage considering most of their work is done over just a couple of days a week.

I like the idea of being able to pack my groceries the way I want them packed.

Even just the few minutes it saves after we arrive home is welcomed. But the thought of not having the baggers available, of potentially ending that tradition, makes me a little sad.

I am all for progress, but the idea of potentially eliminating a job opportunity for folks within our military community to continue to serve in our community just feels wrong.

Baggers are a long-standing tradition of military commissaries. Is it time to send them packing?

More Commissary Brand Items Available to Shoppers

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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.

Have you tried the commissary’s new brands: Freedom’s Choice, HomeBase and TopCare? Tell us what you think in the comments.

Are You Worried About DeCA Collecting Your Information?

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A multitude of companies gather data on you daily, so would it concern you if DeCA collected and sold your information as well?

Whether you realize it or not, your personal information is taken constantly. Rewards cards at businesses collect information on your shopping habits so that they can better adjust their marketing to products you would be interested in. The majority of information obtained on individuals is sold to third party companies for market research. DeCA is one such company.

Under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Military.com requested the information DeCA collects on military patrons’ use of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAPS) and special supplemental nutrition program for women, infants and children (WIC) at commissaries. This request was denied by DeCA’s lawyers.

Specific information of shoppers was not requested. The request was simply for demographics of SNAPS and WIC users that shop at commissaries.

Lawyers however claimed that they didn’t have to share that information because of a law that states if information is sold to a third party then FOIA does not apply. The 2 companies they are referring to are Nielsen Holdings Plc and IRi.

Lawyers from DeCA were quick to say such information is not collected on shoppers anyway. They say that only product movement and sales information is collected when military IDs are scanned at the register. DeCA says they do not sell patrons’ personal information. They only collect demographic information. WIC and SNAP use therefore is not collected.

DeCA is giving contradictory information. They say they don’t collect personal information, only demographic information. The information they collect when military ID cards are scanned at the checkout include information from DEERS such as: ID number, rank, military status, branch, age, household size and the ZIP code of the service member’s home as well as their duty station. All of this is stated on a commissary fact sheet. This sounds pretty personal, especially recording your ID number.

What frustrates some people is that there is no way to opt out of sharing this information when you shop at the commissary.

Transparency is also a concern. Why is DeCA trying to prevent sharing this information? Is it because they actually do collect personal information?

If they do not collect this information, how are they reporting the military use of SNAP and WIC? The Department of Agriculture publishes data about where food stamp benefits are used each year. Commissary usage is included in that information.

In 2014 more than $84 million of SNAP benefits were spent at military commissaries according to a report filed by the Department of Agriculture. They estimated that between 1% and 2% of active duty used food stamps in 2012, the most recent data.

In the same year, the USDA estimated that more than 1.5 million veterans used SNAP. That’s about 7% of veterans. If DeCA doesn’t collect information on SNAP use, then how does the USDA have this information?

Does it bother you that DeCA collects your information, whether personal or simply demographic?

Remember you cannot opt out of having your military ID card scanned at the commissary.

Does it bother you more so that DeCA isn’t being transparent with providing this information to the public or that you cannot opt out of sharing it? We’d love to hear your thoughts on the matter.

How do you feel about this complicated situation with DeCA?

Readers Split Over Veteran Shopping Privileges

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Just this past weekend as we were browsing the aisles at the commissary an announcement was made over the store intercom alerting shoppers to the fact that military Exchanges’ online shopping will soon be available to all veterans. It’s a newly added benefit that has seen a tremendously positive response.

But what about commissary privileges?

A MilitaryShoppers article looked at who is authorized to shop at the commissary and opened up discussion about whether commissary privileges should be extended to all veterans.

Cathy B suggested that commissary privileges “should be granted to all those veterans rated under 100% on a limited basis of 12 shopping trips a year plus a bonus trip during November in honor of Veterans Day.”

Carl felt differently. “Someone who did 4yrs should not get the same privileges as someone who did 20 or 30 yrs,” he wrote.

Reading through the comments, it’s easy to see that this is a hot topic for our readers and rightfully so. Shopping at the commissary does offer considerable savings on most products. Let’s address a few of the most common points of contention and some misconceptions.

Disabled Veteran Benefits

While it’s true that veterans with a 100% disability rating from the VA can shop at the commissary, veterans who receive at least a 30% disability rating from the military, are considered medically retired and do retain commissary benefits.

The 2 disability ratings are different. One is given by the VA and one by the military service itself. So many disabled veterans, especially those whose employment options are limited due to any service-connected injuries or conditions, are already granted privileges.

All Veterans Should Get to Shop

This is an idea express by many readers, but there are some logistical and economic factors that make a blanket open door policy difficult.

As some of our readers mentioned, how do we grant access to those who do not retain ID card privileges?

While the Exchange opened shopping to all veterans, that benefit was only extended online. And the Exchange is a self-sufficient, profit-positive business model that benefits from an increase in the size of its customer base. The more buyers you have, the greater your power to leverage those buyers when negotiating prices with manufacturers and suppliers.

The commissary is a taxpayer subsidized model. The bigger the customer base, the greater the subsidy required to continue to stock shelves and pay employees.

And where would we draw the line? Technically, if you’ve served a day, you are a veteran.

Does one day of service entitle you to benefits?

What if you’ve never been deployed?

Who would make that determination?

Are There Other Ways to Make it Work?

Some readers suggested that a special ID card could be issued or “benefit cards” like what the National Guard and Reserves use for their “once a month” shopping privileges prior to 9/11. This might be a viable option, but there would be additional costs associated with creating and maintaining the records necessary to make a program like this work.

Another suggestion made was to charge a fee, much like the national warehouse stores. This fee might prove an additional revenue stream to help close commissary budget shortfalls.

But it is important to consider what a huge influx of potential customers would do to the shopping experience. More shoppers creates additional strain on gate security and road resources. Parking, while usually ample, is limited, as are shelf space and checkout lanes.

An influx of customers could potentially see frequent outages of staple products and longer checkout lines. Which in turn, devalues the benefit being offered to those who are currently entitled to receive it.

I wholeheartedly understand why so many want to share the commissary benefit with all veterans. It is a sentiment born out of loyalty and a sense of community.

Should we see a revamped profit-earning business model like the Exchange emerge opening up commissaries to all veterans would make sense.

However, when you consider the financial and logistical impact, it becomes clear that opening the commissary doors to all veterans is just not a feasible option at present.

Want to have commissary specials and military discounts delivered to your inbox? Sign up for MilitaryShoppers newsletter today.

Commissaries Stock Shelves with Local Products in Hawaii and Beyond

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For customers of Hawaii’s commissaries, buying local is getting easier and easier. Commissaries around the Hawaiian Islands and beyond are stocking the shelves with local products.

At the annual American Logistics Agency (ALA) Hawaii  Expo, local businesses have the opportunity to showcase their unique products to military buyers. In the two decades of expos, many Hawaiian foods and products have already made their way to military consumers.

Military buyers are looking for unique items at these shows.

“I’m not looking for what I already have,” said Brad McMinn, director of the Schofield Barracks Commissary.

Local Companies, Big Opportunities

Diamond Head Seafoods, owned by Hawaiian local and military veteran Mike Irish, has been working with the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) for 20 years. From a small start with just a few products, Irish has progressed to running the seafood counters around Hawaii.

“I thought they didn’t like my products,” he admitted. “But I just kept trying. The second year they took five products, the third year nine or 10. As they got to know who I was and learned that I was committed to the commissaries, they grew more committed to my products and company.”

Currently, military shoppers can also find Irish’s sauces and condiments in commissaries on the mainland.

Thomas Kerwin of Aloha Gourmet also hopes to expand his product line in Hawaiian commissaries. This year, he brought cookies, coconut shreds and dried mangoes dipped in chocolate.

“We come to this show every year to showcase our items and meet with the buyers,” he said in this news article. “We may not get all of the products we show onto shelves, but even if it’s just one or two, that’s enough.”

Other companies are looking to break into the military market.

“We believe, given the opportunity, the military community will support us and this product,” Mike Choy, co-owner of  Ilio Products, commented. “They’re part of the community and they care about Hawaii and environmental issues. A part of our proceeds goes to organizations that support our coastlines.”

Choy brought an all natural, human grade line of venison dog treats, Go Go Pet’s Stressless Venison Premium Treats, to the expo. The dog treats are made from local deer on Maui, Molokai and Lanai. Deer live on these islands without any natural predators, leading to overpopulation. Culling the deer helps keep the populations in check. Turning the meat into dog treats avoids waste.

“Our goal is to get our message out about how different and special (this product) is,” Choy said. “We’ve already thought about maybe having demos at (military exchanges and commissaries) or having an informational video run next to the product display.”

Possibility to Expand Beyond Hawaii

Choy and other vendors have a good chance of having products picked up by commissaries and exchanges on O’ahu. According to a report by Hawaii News Now, over 350 products were selected at the 2016 expo. Of these, 27 products were from companies that have not previously worked with DeCA. Fifteen new companies and 200 new items were added to the combined military exchanges.

Over the last two decades, almost 3,000 local products have made their way to military consumers at the commissaries and exchanges.

The ALA works with DeCA and the exchange systems throughout the military to help place and promote their members’ businesses and products. Given this large network, products have the possibility of expanding to stores worldwide.

“(T)housands of products have been marketed at the Hawaii show. Many of them are sold throughout the commissary network worldwide,” said U.S. Senator Mazie Hirono.

If you are looking for local products at your commissary or exchange, ask an associate. Often they can help direct you to these products. Many commissaries and exchanges also have a section featuring local products. Take the time to browse this section the next time you are at the commissary.

Which local products are featured in your commissary? Share your favorites in the comments section.

Commissary to Expand Online Ordering Program…Soon

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Picture this. You’ve just returned from a much-needed (and well-deserved) vacation. The fridge is bare. The pantry is nothing but dusty, empty shelves. You’ve got enough laundry to clothe a small village, a stack of mail the size of the Chrysler building and all you can think is, ” I need a vacation from my vacation.”

As you sit trying to muster up the energy to take care of your suitcase, you glance over at the kitchen and your oldest is standing in front of the refrigerator, doors open, eyeballing a stick of butter. Your spouse is rummaging through kitchen cabinets, mumbling something under his breath about starvation. After several unsuccessful deep drawer raids, he turns, holding up a packet of soy sauce and a bag of crushed cracker bits before declaring the obvious.

“We need to go to the commissary.”

And while a trip to the commissary promises everything you need to keep your family fed, the thought of navigating the aisles and elbowing for position in line sounds about as much fun as a root canal.

If only the commissary offered the option to shop online.

If only you could let your fingers do the walking and send in a list of your must-haves for the week.

If only someone would gather all of the things you need, bag ’em up and have them waiting for you when you got there.

Does such a magical service exist? Could “going to the commissary” ever really be as easy as pulling up to the curb and popping the trunk?

Commissary to Expand Online Ordering Program

There aren’t definitive start dates for the online ordering program expansion yet, but the idea already has lots of people looking forward to the option.

If DeCA follows through on plans to expand their curbside pick-up services, you might just be in luck.

Currently, the commissary curbside pick-up program, called Click2Go, is only offered at 3 stateside commissaries. But, as part of DeCA’s continuing efforts to keep the commissary system operational and moving toward sustainability, this convenient service may be coming to a commissary near you soon.

Folks at Fort Lee, Offutt Air Force Base and Travis Air Force Base already know the ins and outs of the Click2Go program. Launched in 2013, the original pilot program was only supposed to last for one year. But due in large part to the astounding positive reception, the program was extended at those 3 locations indefinitely.

Initially intended to help encourage shoppers under 35 to use the commissary more often, the program saw success with older shoppers as well, proving convenience really doesn’t have an age limit. Almost all products available in the commissary are available on Click2Go, including items from health and beauty, deli, freezer and meat/seafood departments.

Currently, the program charges no fees, has no minimum purchase requirement and no tip is required for Click2Go employees.

Can you use coupons? You bet. Payment is tendered at pick-up so you can take advantage of both coupons and sale prices.

Better yet, you can shop 24 hours a day and pick from a list of available pick-up times most convenient for you. You can even place an order up to 6 days in advance.

There are no definitive dates on the expansion and there is already talk of charging a small fee for the service (much like at grocery chains across the country), but the idea already has lots of people looking forward to the option.

Just think, in the near future, instead of trying to figure out how to make a meal out of ketchup, stale corn flakes and pickles, you can use that 2-hour layover to place an order, and just swing by the commissary on your way home.

What do you think of DeCA’s plan to expand the online ordering program at the commissaries? Would you use it?

DeCA’s Private Label Program Off to Good Start

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Name your favorite commercial grocery retailer. Be it Walmart, Giant, Target or Wegmans, they’ve each got their own line of private label products. And if you’re anything like me, you’re more than happy to add a store brand item to your cart if it means a few dollars off your bill.

And now, DeCA, has expanded its arsenal in the fight to keep our commissaries open by launching a series of new products under its own store brand. Commissary shoppers rejoice! Even more savings? I’ll take it.

While the plan to add commissary private label products to the shelves has been in the works for over a year, the private label program’s 2 easily recognizable and aptly-named brands — Freedom’s Choice and Homebase — were officially announced in February.

Freedom’s Choice branded food products will be sourced from leading manufacturers and undergo a rigorous testing and selection process. Homebase products will be non-food items including things like plastic bags. As a weekly commissary shopper, I for one, can hardly wait to see these new products hit the shelves.

A Year of Creative Initiatives

It’s hard not to be impressed by the series of creative initiatives DeCA has rolled out in the last year in an attempt to revitalize local commissaries and help shrink the nearly billion-dollar taxpayer-funded subsidy required to keep commissaries open. These initiatives have included everything from variable pricing structures to curbside pick-up.

Private labeling seems to be one of the most promising efforts. In fact, according to the DeCA website, nearly 60% of its patrons expressed an openness to buying a private label product.

“Our customers have been asking for private label for a long time,” said DeCA’s director and CEO Joseph H. Jeu.

If commissary shoppers hold true to their word, the planned product line seems destined for success. In fact, if all goes according to plan, the new private label product line could help reduce commissary costs by half a billion dollars in the next 10 years.

The new program promises that nearly 1,000 private label products will be on commissary shelves by the end of 2017, but shoppers will only see a few initial products. The first products were due to hit shelves in May, and a recent visit to the Fort Meade commissary confirmed that the program is indeed underway.

My First Private Label Purchase

I expected to see the products presented with a greater fanfare, but I was able to locate 2 products, bottled water under the Freedom’s Choice label and kitchen garbage bags under the Homebase brand. Both were attractively packaged and both were offered at a substantial savings over the next cheapest brand.

The case of water offered a $0.40 savings over our usual brand. Calculated out, a 40-cent savings on each of 2 cases of water per week would save our family just over $40 per year!  I am also happy to report, that as far as taste is concerned, the water was met with the approval of our entire family – including one kid who happens to be very particular about her bottled water!

I will be keeping my eyes open for additional private labels items. My hope is we will see products like pasta, gluten-free items, vitamins and juices. It might also be nice to see it in the freezer section on items like frozen vegetables, ice cream and even pizza.

My hope is that in sourcing items for this product line, DeCA will keep the dietary needs of military families in mind. It would be great to see items offered at a low cost that also make eating healthy a little bit easier.

Have you seen the commissary store brands, Freedom’s Choice and Homebase at your commissary?

Should Shoppers Use Their Military Star Card at the Commissary?

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As part of the Defense Commissary Agency‘s continuing efforts to increase value and convenience at military commissaries across the world, military shoppers at more than 200 commissaries  will have the option to use their Military Star card to pay for groceries starting in October. The additional credit card payment method is being incorporated into the point-of-sale payment overhaul already scheduled for the fall.

There are many reasons to be excited about this new option and a few concerns you may want to consider before using your Military Star card at the commissary.

The Benefits of Using Your Military Star Card at the Commissary

Many shoppers are already using credit cards to pay for groceries. Using the Military Star card has some distinct advantages:

Low Interest Rate

In addition to the low interest rate and fair credit lines offered even to those with little or bad credit , the Star card offers no late or over limit fees and the interest rate is reduced and payments waived during deployments. For junior service members and their spouses, the Military Star card can be a great way to build good credit.

Reap the Rewards

In addition to the Commissary Rewards program, shoppers using their Star card can earn extra rewards. Just like many other retail rewards cards, Military Star card users earn 10% back on all of their purchases. These rewards come in the form of a certificate or payment cards that are eligible for redemption at exchanges, shoppettes and on-post food vendors.

Our fingers are crossed that the rewards will also be eligible for use at the commissary. Every reward earned offers shoppers the potential to save some of their hard-earned cash.

Using the Star Card Supports MWR Programs

A considerable amount of the monies earned through interest on Military Star cards is used to fund MWR events and programs. Using your Star card helps keep our military dollars within our community.

Provides Options to Military Families

In her article, Star Card At The Commissary: Good or Bad? , Kate Horrell mentions one important benefit of this payment option:

“Service members who have run out of money will be able to purchase affordable, real food on credit instead of buying expensive junk food at the exchanges or minimarts/shoppettes.”

We know an unhealthy diet is usually a cheap diet, so having the Star card as an option for those months where a paycheck runs a little thin could be a value for some military families.

DeCA Gets to Save

Adding the Military Star card to the list of credit cards currently accepted at commissaries offers a direct benefit to DeCA. For every credit card purchase processed, DeCA must pay a small transaction fee to the credit card processor. Military Star card transactions, in comparison, cost less than say the fees paid to Visa or Mastercard.

The Concerns Associated with Using Your Military Star Card at the Commissary

So we’ve covered the benefits, but what should service members and their families think about before swiping their Star card?  Two words – debt management.

Using the card to earn rewards can be a great way to stretch your budget, but that only works to your advantage if you pay off your credit card balance each month.

Credit for Consumables

Many financial advisors warn against using credit to purchase consumable goods. While it is easy and convenient to charge that $200 grocery bill to a credit card, if you only pay the minimum payment, by the time you pay off the balance, you’ll have paid an additional $15 or more in interest. And if you make a habit of it for every weekly grocery run, your annual grocery shopping bill could be more than $700 over what it would have been if you’d just paid cash.

Option for Garnishment

Plus, if you use your Star Card and don’t make a payment, you may soon find your military wages garnished to pay the bill. Regular credit cards don’t have that option.

If you are going to use your Military Star card at the commissary, reap the benefits, but take care to treat it just like any other credit card purchase and shop responsibly.

Do you have a Military Star card? Will you use it at the commissary this fall?