CLICK2GO: McGuire Commissary launches online ordering/curbside pickup service
FORT LEE, Va. – The COVID-19 pandemic couldn’t contain a full slate of customers who did their grocery shopping over the internet and picked their orders up from the safety of their vehicles on April 6, the launch date of the new CLICK2Go service at McGuire Air Force Base Commissary in New Jersey.
“It’s a hit. We were fully booked Monday, and we’re booked throughout the rest of the week,” said store director John Zoubra. “This service was planned long before the virus outbreak, but in light of COVID-19 our startup proved very timely.”
Customers of the McGuire store, part of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst community, shopped online and didn’t leave their vehicles when they picked up their orders. They accessed CLICK2GO on the Defense Commissary Agency’s website, commissaries.com, where they selected products based on the store’s stock assortment. They selected a pickup time and completed the online checkout process. Then it was a matter of parking in designated parking spaces where commissary employees brought their groceries and completed the transactions. The website began accepting orders on April 3 for the April 6 pickup.
“A lot of people from our store all the way up to DeCA Headquarters worked together to make this day happen,” Zoubra said. “A special shout out goes to Ashley Moats, our assistant grocery manager, for all her expertise and leadership that she’s still applying as the store’s team lead to keep this service going.”
Zoubra cautions customers of the service about product availability, which has been impacted by COVID-19 shopping patterns. Online product selections might not be available when the CLICK2GO pickers go through the store to fill orders, and customers are notified of their order status accordingly. The CLICK2GO section on DeCA’s website explains how the system works.
“A good thing about this service is that CLICK2GO customers know what they’re getting before they come to pick up their orders,” Zoubra said.
As part of an introductory offer, McGuire CLICK2GO services are free during the first 30 days of operation. After that a $4.95 service fee will be applied for each order as it is at DeCA’s other online ordering-curbside pickup service locations. McGuire joins commissaries at Fort Belvoir, Fort Eustis, Naval Air Station Oceana and Marine Corps Base Quantico, all in Virginia, as DeCA’s fifth CLICK2GO location.
“All five locations are booked out for days,” said Willie Watkins, the Defense Commissary Agency’s eBusiness chief. “CLICK2GO order windows have been booked to capacity for over two weeks, and we’re so grateful for all our order pickers and store associates who are working diligently to accommodate customers.”
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Photo caption: McGuire Air Force Base Commissary assistant store manager Ashley Moats delivers groceries to the vehicle of one of the store’s first CLICK2GO customers. They were among a full slate of customers who used the internet ordering/curbside pickup service on April 6, its first day. (DeCA photo: John Zoubra). Go to the DeCA Flickr page to see photos related to this release.
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.