Commissaries at military bases in the United States will soon offer home delivery, according to the Defense Commissary Agency. (Jeremy Stillwagner/Stars and Stripes)
Commissary customers across the United States will soon be able to order groceries delivered to their homes, according to the Defense Commissary Agency.
DeCA anticipates starting home delivery by midsummer, but only from its 178 stateside locations; delivery from overseas base commissaries is barred by regulatory constraints, said agency spokesman Keith Desbois to Stars and Stripes by email Wednesday.
“We are striving to anticipate our patrons’ needs and do what it takes to be their grocery provider of choice,” Desbois said.
DeCA is still soliciting bids on a contract to deliver groceries to the homes of eligible consumers, after which it will determine where it will roll out the delivery option, he said.
DeCA has been running a pilot program for nearly two years at Fort Belvoir and Norfolk Naval Station, both in Va.; Scott Air Force Base, Ill, Fort Liberty South, N.C., MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., Lewis Main at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash., and Marine Corps Air Station Miramar and Naval Station San Diego, both in California.
So far, delivery customers at these pilot locations have logged nearly 28,000 transactions, averaging $128.70 per order, Desbois said.
Deliveries may be available to eligible commissary patrons within a 20-mile driving radius of the commissary, including off-base deliveries.
To order customers will use Commissary CLICK2GO delivery, which is available online or with an app. CLICK2GO delivery is an extension of the worldwide program that launched during the COVID-19 pandemic. CLICK2GO afforded customers the option to order and pick up their commissary orders curbside.
The CLICK2GO program has been profitable for DeCA, reaching $100 million in sales on Feb. 16, according to DeCA’s website.
DeCA plans to eventually deliver groceries to all stateside customers and locations, on and off base, in barracks, housing and offices, Desbois said.
Delivery prices will average $15.99 within 1-5 miles, $20.99 within 6-10 miles, $25.99 within 11-15 miles and $29.99 within 16-20 miles.
The delivery fee is determined by the service provider, not DeCA, and reflects vendor costs based on the driven radius from the commissary, Desbois said. “Going forward we anticipate delivery prices to be equivalent to current retail grocer delivery prices,” he said.
