DeCA cuts the ribbon on its Commissary CLICK2GO delivery test during Fort Belvoir ceremony
FORT LEE, Va. – Leaders from the Department of Defense, Defense Commissary Agency and Fort Belvoir, Virginia, gathered to acknowledge the start of DeCA’s pilot Commissary CLICK2GO delivery program today at the post commissary.
Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert Cisneros; DeCA Director and CEO William “Bill” Moore; Marine Sgt. Maj. Michael Saucedo, DeCA Senior Enlisted Advisor; and Army Command Sgt. Maj. Gregory Kleinholz, Fort Belvoir Garrison command sergeant major joined participants in a ribbon-cutting event that marked a key milestone for the commissary agency — testing a significant eCommerce option requested by its customers.
“If we can’t get the patron to the store, then we’ve got to get the benefit to the patron – that’s what CLICK2GO delivery is really about at these eight locations,” said Moore. “So far, it’s working extremely well at Belvoir, we’re knocking it out of the park here. If this pilot continues its success, we’re going to go globally, as fast as the law and contracting rules allow.”
DeCA’s delivery program allows patrons within a 20-mile radius of the participating commissary to order groceries online via Commissary CLICK2GO, and have them delivered to their front door.
In addition to Fort Belvoir, the delivery service is also being tested at the following commissary locations: Scott Air Force Base, Illinois; Fort Bragg South, North Carolina; MacDill Air Force Base, Florida; and Naval Station Norfolk, Virginia; Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington; Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Naval Station San Diego, both in California.
The agency’s testing of delivery began June 1 and ends Aug. 30. The test period is one of the tools the agency is using to determine future expansion of Commissary CLICK2GO delivery.
DeCA moved forward to test delivery capabilities after hosting focus groups with new young, single enlisted service members who said they value convenience as much as their savings, and they want low-cost, healthy options. Commissaries also see home delivery as a viable option for families and disabled veterans who are challenged to visit the store.
“As we spread the word on this much-needed benefit to all our eligible customers, we are using technology to expand access in more convenient ways than ever before – like online shopping and curbside pickup with online payment (available now at all stores) and now our test of delivery services,” Moore said. “We are striving to anticipate our patrons’ needs and do what it takes to be their grocery provider of choice.
“Across our agency, we have a renewed focus on customer service – every decision we make is through the eyes of our patron – striving to meet their needs, be it extended hours, special orders, curbside pickup or commissary delivery.”
-DeCA-
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, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. 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.