Discover your savings

FORT LEE, Va. (April 1, 2016) – If commissary shopping were a college course, Air Force Command Chief Master Sgt. Stuart M. Allison would be an "A" student.

"The best way to use the commissary benefit is to be an informed shopper," said Allison, the senior enlisted advisor to the Defense Commissary Agency's director. "Commissaries.com is one of my family's most visited websites. We log in on Mondays to the Exclusive Savings section under the Sales and Events page to see what fruits and vegetables will be on sale. We also follow the commissary on Facebook. When the new sales promotional packages come out, we log in, authenticate our information and find out what additional savings are available every two weeks."

Like Allison, a growing number of commissary patrons are using the website to help them maximize their savings before they shop. Website visitors can access Commissary Rewards Card digital coupons, the sales flyer and the "Savings Aisle" for promotional prices and more. The phased worldwide rollout of in-store Wi-Fi services is steadily expanding customer access to the agency's Internet resources, and it will be complete by November.

Here are some website highlights accessible from the menu bar at the top of the homepage:

Locations tab

• Patrons can plan shopping trips before they leave home by checking store hours, sale dates and special events on their store information page. Shoppers can also obtain local store news, telephone numbers, email addresses and directions to their commissary.

Shopping tab

• The Sales and Events page features the commissary sales flyer. Authorized shoppers can log in to see the biweekly sales flyer with discounted products; every two weeks it reflects products as they go on and off sale. The flyer also contains the "Thinking Outside the Box" venue that matches healthy recipes with products on sale. The page also contains a link to coupons, lists of new products and additional discounts from commissary vendors.
• The Savings Aisle allows visitors to see every product on sale by store location.
• Commissary Gift Cards allow individuals and organizations to give the gift of groceries to authorized patrons. They're purchased in denominations of $25 or $50. As of March 23, DeCA has sold more than 655,000 cards worth $22.4 million – more than $20 million have been redeemed.
• Commissary Rewards Cards open the door to thousands of digital coupons redeemable at any commissary. Mobile applications for both Apple and Android platforms allow customers access to their account, review and select coupons, and find store information such as hours of operation and phone numbers.
• Case Lot sales, Healthy Lifestyle festivals and Guard/Reserve On-site sales. Patrons should check individual commissary schedules for these special events.
• Value Brands. A list of Commissary Value Brands items is available along with frequently asked questions and a video of the program.
• Commissary Connection. Stay connected with the latest news, hot links to additional savings, shopping sprees, contests, commissary promotions, events and more.

Healthy Living tab

• DeCA supports Defense Department initiatives to educate the military community about health and nutrition. Visitors to this page can get information on healthy habits, nutrition, recipe suggestions, food safety and more.

Customer Service tab

• Here, patrons can voice their concerns or compliments from their latest shopping experience, access FAQs dealing with general areas of the commissary benefit or vendors can inquire about doing business with DeCA.

The website also gives patrons access to DeCA's social media platforms – Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Flickr and Pinterest. Regular visits to these sites keep patrons tuned in to emerging information on everything connected to their commissary benefit whether its Value Brand deals, sales flyers, food safety notices and more.

"Our objective with everything we do is to deliver a 21st century benefit that's relative to our patrons," Allison said. "So, if you're like me, you do your homework before you shop to get the most from your benefit.

"And with our in-store Wi-Fi, you can stand in the store and use your smart phone or tablet to download digital coupons from the DeCA website or find out what's on promotion through the sales flyer. Now that's the modern benefit in action."

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