I respectfully disagree...there are many items that are much cheaper and as one example...the ammo in AAFES was at times 1/3 to even 1/2 the cost of the retailers in town...wasn’t subject to the price runups and gouging that was going on.
It all depends on what you’re looking for and the price match policy helps to keep prices in line with downtown...there are many deals to be had.
And what about the impact to those who serve on isolated stateside bases? The nearest grocery store to Edwards AFB is an Albertson’s about 20 miles away and I’ve done the comparisons...those unionized stores rape their customers...just one example...A 2 cup bag of Kraft shredded cheese at Albertson’s is $4+, at the Commissary, is less than $2. If Albertson’s isn’t good enough then tack on another 15 miles to the nearest WM...this is one way mind you and gas prices are over $4 per gallon...
Don’t anyone sit here and try to tell me that the impact on stateside folks is negligible to zero...not every base has a WM right outside the main gate...the EAFB commissary and BX are busy quite a bit.
I would dare to say that those bases that are in close proximity to civilian stores are doing a pretty good job of helping to keep prices down outside the gate as a simple matter of competition...had one poster on another thread claim that those stores were “better” because they offered tons of coupons...what they refused to address is the reason for those coupons...to increase foot traffic by military folks.
What does anyone think is going to happen to prices locally once the commissary is closed? The competition is gone...so then what? Same thing happens whenever the military get a raise, what happens to prices across the board? They go up, negating or eliminating the benefit of the raise.
SZ, you forgot to mention that the commissary takes all manufactures coupons and even has coupon dispensers for ‘featured items’ 1/2 gal milk is $1.67 at Bolling & Andrews AFB commissaries. A can of libby hash is $1.69. bread, $1.22 a loaf.
And old commissaries, the commissary at Ft. McNair was literally converted from the post’s two horse stables with the paddock area in between floored and roofed over. It was closed in 1994 and is now the home of the US Army Center of Military History. Of course, folks still make comments about what comes out of CMH being related to the horse stables :-)
There may be some AAFES items that are a good deal, but generally I can find the same items less expensive elsewhere. I don’t buy much ammo, so I can’t say how good a deal that would be at the BX. The commissary, on the other hand, seems to be a better deal, and I agree with the article that commissary business brings some customers to AAFES that they’d lose otherwise.
I also agree our dear leaders are probably underestimating the impact of their proposed changes to the commissary system. The commissary is a valuable benefit that helps military pay go farther and encourages retention. It’s so nice of the Joint Chiefs to sell out the military by claiming commissary cuts are fine. Not everyone in the military is a well paid and royally treated general officer.