Case lot, 'Back to School'

August promotions yield savings for commissary patrons

FORT LEE, Va. (July 25, 2016) –August means "Back to School" savings at commissaries around the world and the return of the popular Customer Appreciation Case Lot Sales in the U.S.

"The lineup of promotions for August gives our customers plenty of reasons to shop their commissary for great deals that help them stretch their paychecks," said Tracie Russ, the Defense Commissary Agency's director of sales.

Commissary shoppers can easily find out about the sales and promotions where they can also enter contests and win trips. Best places to check are the Savings Center page and the Exclusive Savings page, while the case lot sale schedule is at the Customer Appreciation Case Lot Sale page.

The savings result from DeCA's industry partners – vendors, suppliers and brokers – who collaborate with commissaries to offer discounts beyond everyday savings. End-of-aisle displays especially feature low-priced items.

Here's the lineup for August:

• "Back to School" sales focus on products that make up healthy family breakfasts, fresh-packed school lunches, and after-school snacks that young students can prepare themselves. Promotionally priced items are throughout the store, and fresh produce plays a big role in all three meals, as well as lunchmeats and dairy products.
• Customer Appreciation Case Lot Sales begin mid-August and run through September at stateside commissaries including those in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico. These three-day sales feature savings on a variety of items including bulk buys of cereals, breakfast bars, chips, beverages and paper goods, and good prices on seasonal fresh produce. These "parking lot" sales also provide high-value coupons for products inside the store.
• P&G, Kellogg's, Smuckers, Coca-Cola and Hershey are sponsors of Team USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and they are offering discounts on over 30 of their participating brands highlighted by mass displays and in-store coupon sales flyers. Through Aug. 15, Commissary Rewards Card users can enter for a chance to win a $500 Visa gift card by purchasing any four participating products. A total of eight $500 Visa gift cards will be awarded.
• The Scholarships for Military Children fund could receive up to a $50,000 donation from Kellogg's thanks to a cause promotion. They will donate 5 cents per box for every Kellogg or Keebler item purchased worldwide through the month of August.
• Box Tops for Education is a General Mills school fundraising program that runs Aug. 1-28 in commissaries worldwide. In-store displays highlight the program that earns cash for schools. Each product box top collected is worth 10 cents and many General Mills items will have double box top value during the month. High-value coupons, in-store product demonstrations and decorative mass displays in stores are also part of the promotion.
• Free Groceries for a Year is a Kraft Heinz promotion that will give away six total prizes of $7,500 each in Commissary Gift Cards to winning commissary patrons. The online giveaway runs Aug. 1 - Sept. 11. Participating brands include Kraft Natural Cheese, Kraft Singles, Velveeta, Kraft Grated Parmesan, Cracker Barrel, Jell-O, Breakstone's, Knudsen, Kraft Dinners, Kraft Salad Dressings, Kraft BBQ Sauce, Oscar Mayer, Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Planters, Cool Whip and Kraft Mayo. No purchase is necessary. Participation is limited to stateside customers including those in Alaska and Hawaii commissaries.

"Your commissary has it all for your children's back to school nutritional needs," Russ said. "Promoting lean protein, high fiber cereals, low-fat dairy products, and fresh fruit give our military families great ideas for a healthy, well-rounded breakfast, which is a very important meal.

"And then we've got what they need for good lunches and after school snacks," she added. "In fact, our produce sections are offering new snack cups that include dairy, protein and fresh fruit for after-school snacks that kids can serve themselves."

About DeCA: 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. Commissaries provide a military benefit and make no profit on the sale of merchandise. Authorized patrons purchase items at cost plus a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. By shopping regularly in the commissary, patrons save thousands of dollars annually. 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.

Media Contact:
Kevin L. Robinson
(804) 734-8000, Ext. 4-8773
kevin.robinson@deca.mil