FORT LEE, Va. — Smart military shoppers know the commissary has the lowest prices in town. And the really smart ones know that for a few days twice a year, stateside commissaries take savings to another level with their Customer Appreciation Case Lot Sales.
The sales take place each spring and fall, offering savings as much as 50 percent over the stores’ already low prices. This year’s fall sales are now starting, as each store hosts individual two- or three-day case lot sales during one weekend between mid-August and the end of September. Commissaries in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico are also participating.
Commissaries in Europe and the Pacific, while not officially participating, may have substitute events such as sidewalk sales.
“This year’s sales recognize the Defense Commissary Agency’s 25th birthday celebration,” said Sallie Cauthers, marketing and mass communication specialist at the Defense Commissary Agency headquarters. “The actual 25th DeCA birthday celebration is Oct. 1. This special ‘parking lot’ sale is leading up to this event.” The agency was formed in 1991 in a money-saving consolidation of the commissary systems of each of the armed services as the Cold War wound down.
The sales offer big discounts in case formats similar to commercial club stores. However, commissary case lot events also offer additional “mix and match” packages of similar items in bulk-size cases. These include grocery items such as barbecue sauces, canned tomatoes, beans, certain pasta meals, cereals, snacks, water, tea and juices.
Customers will have a large variety of on-sale items to choose from, including products in the following categories:
• Fruit snacks, pudding snack packs, granola bars, fruit bars, pastries, peanut butter and popcorn
• Water and flavored water, teas, juices, juice mixes, sodas, sports drinks and breakfast drinks
• Frozen pizza and sausage links
• Chilled items to include cheeses, yogurt and yogurt mix
• Prepackaged meats such as lunchmeat, bacon and pork loin
• Pet supplies, including bagged and canned food, treats and cat litter
• Pasta, barbecue and pasta sauces, spices, rice, oriental noodles and bowls, chili mix and condiments
• Cookies, brownies, pancakes and muffin mixes; oatmeal
• Canned fruit, vegetables, soups, tuna and chili
• Sandwich, storage and freezer bags; paper products and cleaning supplies such as bathroom tissue, fabric sheets and laundry detergent
• Health and beauty care including diapers, wipes, shampoo and conditioner, soaps, shaving gels and body lotions
Hill Air Force Base will be having their case lot sale from September 27-30.
According to Cauthers, case lot sales are just one way DeCA continues to deliver an amazing value to the military 25 years after its establishment. “The benefit lives on today, continuing to serve our men and women at 238 stores around the world.”
Note: To watch a video on DeCA’s YouTube page about case lot sales, go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tph2MkHsmdk.
