For first time, veterans can shop military exchanges online

[rangerrebew]

For first time, veterans can shop military exchanges online

    Barrie Barber Staff Writer

6:15 p.m Wednesday, Feb. 22, 2017 Business
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Business
For the first time, veterans will be able to shop online at military exchanges, opening the door potentially to millions more shoppers.

For the first time, veterans will be able to shop online at military exchanges, opening the door potentially to millions more shoppers.

The online shopping benefit is due to land on Veterans Day, Nov. 11, potentially added thousands of customers in the Miami Valley.

The change will open exchange shopping to 15 million veterans, according to Chris Ward, an Army & Air Force Exchange Service spokesman.

http://www.daytondailynews.com/business/for-first-time-veterans-can-shop-military-exchanges-online/Z8qlcQZtWaVG0NCqPGGqtL/

[montanajoe]

I plan to take advantage of this although I hardly ever shop online. IIRC the idea behind this is to shore up the finances to help keep prices down for the guys and gals in uniform..

[SZonian]

I think it's long overdue that veterans who aren't retired are able to shop at AAFES...I had always questioned why they couldn't.

AAFES has been putting in gun counters in many of their stores, so if you're near a BX, you might be able to find some good prices (no sales tax) on firearms and peripherals.

[mystery-ak]

I plan to take advantage of this although I hardly ever shop online. IIRC the idea behind this is to shore up the finances to help keep prices down for the guys and gals in uniform..

Except for no sales tax you can get a better price at any other store.

It used to be you could get a great deal on everything...not anymore.

[montanajoe]

Except for no sales tax you can get a better price at any other store.

It used to be you could get a great deal on everything...not anymore.

As military pay has improved greatly since I was in, the prices have gone up. Aafees and the commissary system was a way to make up for the low pay back in the day.

Today I think the real worth of the systems is not for those stationed CONUS but those stationed throughout the world. I figure even if I don't get the absolute best price with them as long as my few dollars goes towards keeping them solvent so that they can complete their mission worldwide my few bucks will be well spent. So I welcome this news and will probably use them for the limited amount of online shopping I do.

As someone who has spent many years out of the country I can't tell you how much having the PX and Commissary  meant to me when I was in. For me the familiarity and "home" feeling was invaluable...

[SZonian]

Except for no sales tax you can get a better price at any other store.

It used to be you could get a great deal on everything...not anymore.

AAFES will price match...which at Edwards AFB is a pretty big deal since you then don't have 45 minute one way drive to town + sales tax to the idiotic CA beast.