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Commissaries

Commissaries are military supermarkets, with all items sold at cost plus a 5 percent surcharge. The Defense Commissary Agency oversees 263 stores worldwide on Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps installations.

Most of DeCA’s larger commissaries are relatively full-service grocery stores. The commissaries routinely stock 4,000 to 18,000 items in grocery, meat, produce and deli, bakery, household, health care and cosmetics departments.

Contact

http://www.commissaries.com.

Customer satisfaction

Commissary products can be returned for an exchange or refund.

Eligibility

Single and married military personnel, regardless of rank or service, and their families are eligible to shop in commissaries. Active-duty, retired, National Guard and reserve members and their families are also eligible, as are disabled veterans, surviving spouses, former spouses and their families.

Special assistance is offered for those with disabilities or infirmities.

Individuals caring for children of service members who are deployed, on remote assignment or deceased may be authorized to use the commissary for 12 months, sometimes longer in cases of continued hardship.

Employees

Most commissary employees work for DeCA. Their salaries are covered by federal civil service regulations and are paid by taxpayer dollars. Baggers are not DeCA employees; their only compensation is customer tips.

Military spouses are encouraged to apply for jobs at commissaries, and there are provisions to help them continue careers with the commissary system after permanent change-of-station moves.

Gift certificates

These can be purchased at http://www.commissaries.com or by calling (877) 770-4438. Shipping and handling charges `apply.

Hours

Most stores have evening and weekend hours.

Online shopping

Click on “Virtual Commissary” at http://www.commissaries.com for a limited selection of items. Officials hope soon to expand the number of manufacturers who participate in the online commissary store. Defense Department civilians stationed overseas who have commissary privileges can also shop online.

Overseas

Commissaries overseas operate under unique restrictions. Limits are imposed on purchases that can be sold on illegal markets; in Korea, for example, shoppers are limited to a monthly spending cap based on family size.

Rules on who can use overseas commissaries are affected by Status of Forces Agreements between host nations and the U.S.

Service members on leave, retirees, and National Guard and reserve members visiting nations overseas in an unofficial capacity are not granted commissary privileges. Reservists in Germany are not granted the full privileges enjoyed by stateside units.

Payment

Commissaries accept cash, personal checks, traveler’s checks and debit and credit cards. Food stamps and Women, Infants and Children program vouchers are accepted in the U.S., including Puerto Rico and Guam. Commissaries overseas accept the overseas military-issued WIC vouchers for military families.

Sales restrictions

Federal law restricts what commissaries can sell. For example, they do not stock beer, wine or many general merchandise items carried by base exchanges.

Savings

Shoppers get average savings of 30 percent or more. There is no sales tax. The 5 percent surcharge pays for construction and renovation of stores and equipment purchases.

Information on monthly sales and promotions are available at http://www.commissaries.com, including bulk “case lot sales” generally held in May and September.