WHITEMAN AIR FORCE BASE, Mo. -- Commissary CLICK2GO, the Defense Commissary Agency’s new online ordering/curbside delivery service, is coming to the Whiteman AFB Commissary, with first pick-up slots expected to open July 27, according to Commissary officials.
Customers will be able to make their orders online up to six days ahead, using a computer or mobile device and select available commissary products based on the local store’s online stock inventory. After completing their selection, shoppers choose a pickup time and pay for their order with a credit card (Military Star Card, cash, check or EBT/WIV vouchers are not currently accepted for CLICK2GO).
The pick-up spots will be marked and located in the curbside delivery area behind the commissary, on the facility’s north side. Commissary workers will then bring their groceries to the waiting vehicle at the appointed time. Current hours of operations for Whiteman AFB Commissary’s grocery pickup are 11 a.m. through 5:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday (Subject to change).
“This service really speaks to the needs of our customers who can now plan, order and pay for their purchases on-line well ahead of time and then just drive to the store to get them delivered to you without having to get out of their vehicle,” said Anthony Gardner, the Whiteman AFB commissary officer. “We really think our customers will enjoy the increased convenience of this streamlined process, especially during a busy duty day. I encourage all our shoppers to access the CLICK2GO page to learn more about it.”
CLICK2GO’s features:
• Easy-to-use navigation and search functions to help customers plan healthy meals and take care of their family’s needs
• Enhanced product information
• Robust recipe features
• Featured sales and promotions
• Upgraded mobile-friendly experience
• No service fee (it was waived on all orders for a limited time starting June 28)
Many of the recent developments of the new online ordering system have been driven by the global COVID-19 pandemic, which brought various public health measures to retail stores worldwide. The Food Marketing Institute recently reported that online grocery shopping has escalated to previously unpredictable rates since the pandemic broke out. FMI had estimated that 20 percent of all U.S. grocery shopping would be done online by 2025. However, the rates of e-grocery sales expected to occur over a 10-year timeframe actually occurred in just six months.
In step with these rapidly changing grocery shopping trends, DeCA officials stated the agency working to bring on-line ordering, payment and pick-up options to all commissary-eligible patrons. In early June, the agency announced plans to expand Commissary CLICK2GO to all 236 commissaries worldwide, and the rollout status can be found on the agency’s web site.
“We’ve learned a lot about what our customers want during our initial 11-store rollout the past two years, and thanks to recent innovations to our e-commerce platform we’ve made tremendous service and user-interface improvements that customers expect in today’s retail environment,” said Bill Moore, DeCA director and CEO. “Commissary CLICK2GO builds on the vital benefit we deliver exclusively for our military community and their families. We deliver the savings but we have to improve on convenience -- and CLICK2GO does just that.”
The Defense Commissary Agency operates a worldwide chain of commissaries providing groceries to military personnel, retirees and their families in a safe and secure shopping environment. Commissaries provide a military benefit, saving authorized patrons thousands of dollars annually on their purchases compared to similar products at commercial retailers. The discounted prices include a 5-percent surcharge, which covers the costs of building new commissaries and modernizing existing ones. A core military family support element, and a valued part of military pay and benefits, commissaries contribute to family readiness, enhance the quality of life for America’s military and their families, and help recruit and retain the best and brightest men and women to serve their country.
“Commissary CLICK2GO builds on the vital benefit we deliver exclusively for our military community and their families – we deliver the savings but we have to improve on convenience and CLICK2GO does just that,” Moore said. “With it, patrons near and far can plan, order and pay for their purchases on-line and simply swing by the store to get them. It makes the commissary worth the trip and I envision it will enable us to eventually offer delivery – where our patrons can enjoy their hard-earned benefit from the comfort of their homes or barracks.”