When you serve in the US Military there is a specific benefit that is reserves solely for US Servicemembers. It is the usage of the military post store, also called a PX or “Commissary. It offers a wide variety of goods and services at a reduced cost to Servicemembers, Veterans, Retirees, and their dependents and family members. The goal of military post exchanges and commissaries is to take retail sales that occur on military installations out of the hands of civilian competition retail stores.
With the advent of the Internet, the Commissary is expanding. Now it is possible to shop for some things at home, and then pick up the product on base, or arrange for shipping. Sales of services and good from military stores to military personnel is not a new innovation, it began back in the early 1800’s. By the year 1841 officers could also make purchases for members of their families and their dependants. One of the intents of the Military Post Exchange program is to benefit Servicemembers by giving them financial advantages in purchasing things “at cost,” or close to at cost basis. Most commissaries and post exchanges save their customers over 30 percent, and can equal about $2,700 dollars a year for the average family of four. Civilian payroll of commissary stores is taxpayer funded, to keep the costs separate from the goods and services offered. The Military Exchange or Commissary represents one of the biggest military benefits available today to the active duty Servicemember. Commissaries and Post exchanges particularly benefit young service families that live in areas where the cost of living is high. The Military customer today pays a 5 percent charge that was instituted by Congress. The savings realized by Servicemembers and their families at the Commissary is considerable; because of it’s pricing and more direct to customer sales ability the savings can be up to 30 or 40 percent sometimes. The military Post Exchange or commissary still sells things at cost, or just above cost. Without the commissary and Post Exchange some families of Military Servicemembers could not make ends meet.
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This five percent pays for renovations, new stores, and supports Exchange operations. This is the ultimate in convenience, and is truly technology meeting an existing need. This is a method to provide the opportunity for the military to “take care of its own,” by providing goods, food and services at substantial savings.
