Delivering the Commissary Benefit Your Commissary … It’s Worth the Trip! Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Future Leader Forum and Training

Delivering the Commissary Benefit

Your Commissary … It’s Worth the Trip!

Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS)

Future Leader Forum and

Training CMSgt Stuart M. Allison DeCA Senior Enlisted Advisor


241 commissaries

13 countries

13,000+ employees – 65.4% military related*

$5.6B annual sales

90M annual transactions

30% average savings vs. grocery stores/all food outlets

145+ years serving the nation

We sell groceries at cost plus 5%

surcharge

DeCA by the Numbers

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*Percentage of DeCA U.S. Civilian Employee Population


• Commissaries deliver a vital element of military compensation– Sell grocery items at cost

– Enhance quality of life

– Support military readiness, recruitment and retention

• Other benefits to military community– Industry giveaways and scholarships support

– Source of employment for spouses, dependents

– Increases foot traffic for Exchange and MWR

Part of Non-pay Compensation

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• Military Spouses – 3,747 or 27.08%• Dependents – 1,010 or 7.3%• Sponsors:

– Retirees – 1,749 or 12.64%

– Guard and Reserve – 344 or 2.49%

• Other Veterans – 2,206 or 15.94%

Military-related Employment

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65.4%

Population – 13,838 DeCA U.S. civilian employees as of March 31, 2015


Why is it that the commissary …

• Requirements, prohibitions or not authorizedin law

• Regulated by law or DoD policy

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Adds a

surcharge

Won’t price match

Sells no

beer or

wine

Won’t double coupon

s

Doesn’t

pay

baggers

Isn’t combined

with Exchanges

???


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Commissary Savings – The Real Deal

What’s the math behind “30% savings”?

• Use comprehensive database from Nielsen for U.S. commercial grocery store and commissary prices

• Used more than 38,000 scanned grocery items

in 2014 analysis• For non-scannable items (fresh meat,

produce), record prices at 30 commissaries and 60 outside retailers at each site

• For overseas stores, do physical audit at 2 commissaries in Alaska, 2 in Hawaii and 13 overseas, plus 2 outside grocery stores at each site


DeCA’s Extra Value Programs Value Brand

• We Compared – You Save !– Highlights items that are

competitive when compared to store/private label brands in the commercial sector

– Value brands must be consistently lower in price and of equal or better quality to store or private label brands

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• VB items offer 20% Savings– Compared

to private label

Commissary Rewards Card

Examples of past vendor promotions

• Buy four Dr. Pepper/Snapple items for a chance to win four round trip airline tickets, 6 days & 5 night hotel stay with $1,000 spending money

• Spend $25 on Con Agra products, receive a $5 off total purchase digital coupon

• Buy 4 Kellogg’s products to be entered for a chance to win a trip to Washington, D.C

• Buy 4 Kellogg’s products to be entered for a chance to win free groceries for a year.

Number of digital coupons redeemed

6,832,956

Dollar value of digital coupons redeemed

$7,551,681

Number of coupons downloaded 58,138,293


Commissary Awareness

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• DeCA uses social media for:– Two-way communication and

engagement– Enhanced customer feedback– Deliver Hub-and-Spoke communication– Educate patrons about their benefit– DeCA’s sales, events, promotions– Sales Flyer– Share relevant DoD information


HEALTHY EATING – IT’S EASIER THAN YOU

THINK!

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ThinkingOutside the Box

Produce Corner


Health Promotion in the Sales Flyer

• Healthy Meal Solution- “Thinking Outside the Box”– Partnering with DOD health and wellness

stakeholders like the Performance Triad and Operation Live Well to align nutrition messaging and promote

– Meal features items on promotion and provides grocery cost, meal cost and individual serving cost

– Beginning in 2016 shelf stable items will be featured as an endcap

• Produce Corner- Recipe promoting in-season produce

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DeCA’s Nutrition Guide Program

• PURPOSE– Provides nutrition educational information relevant to

shoppers’ interests and dietary needs at the point of purchase

– Quick and easy way to identify healthier choices

– Expedites the shoppers’ search; eases confusion; and leads them to healthier choices

– An additional resource for our military community that is consistent across all commissaries

– Information for reference to assist with DoD’s health promotion efforts

• COMING SOON– January/February 2016 pilot/implementation

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DeCA’s Nutrition Guide Mock Tag

Attributes are examples only

Final thoughts and the way ahead


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• A benefit that has been in place for over 145 years – however faces intense scrutiny as DoD balances resources to readiness

• DeCA has been aggressive in reducing its costs

• DeCA continuing with transformation and modernization of the commissary business to be more efficient and responsiveTaking care of military members is

priority!Taking care of military members is

priority!

Commissary – Benefit & Business

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Innovative

Suggestions?

www.commissaries.com

Documents

Delivering the Commissary Benefit Your Commissary … It’s Worth the Trip! Better Opportunities for Single Soldiers (BOSS) Future Leader Forum and Training