ARMY SHOPPING

Commissary

Supermarket, food mart, emporium, bodega, five and dime. Whatever you want to call it, the commissary is the Army’s grocery store, and it offers a great way to stretch the family dollar. The commissary provides high-quality groceries at low prices. On larger Posts, it is about equal in size to just about anything you might find in the civilian community. While in small or remote areas and overseas, it tends to stock just the basic necessities, in the commissary you will still see a lot of the products and brands you are used to seeing in any local supermarket. So rest assured, just because you are now shopping Army style, that doesn’t mean you won’t be able to get the same products you’ve grown accustomed to getting at home.

Army And Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES)

The AAFES is the Army’s retail-store system. In fact, it’s really just a fancy way to say “shopping center,” with all the kind of businesses you’ll find in any strip mall or small-town square anywhere in the country. The main store, often called the Post Exchange or PX, is like a department store. Besides the main store, other AAFES facilities you might find on Post include barber and beauty shops, flower shops, gas stations, laundry and dry-cleaning stores, tailors, movie theaters and fast-food restaurants. 

On most Posts, you will find a clothing store that sells official military clothing to soldiers. Many exchanges also have outside concessions or vendors who are allowed to display and sell their wares at, for example, a sunglass kiosk or cellular phone store, in the exchange facility.