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Show 8 Hilltop Times Aug. 22, 1996 Rengineering and streamlining efforts enacted by the Defense Commissary Agency are paying off. Shoppers are realizing a significant rise in savings agency officials said after publication of the "1996 Market Basket Price Comparison Study." The study, done primarily to determine differences between commissary and private sector supermarket prices and the savings to patrons, found that the average savings for those who shop at commissaries in the contiguous United States is 29.7 percent. That's 6.3 percent more than what was found in the last Market Basket Price Comparison Study completed in 1992. "What this means is that patrons who do all their grocery shopping at their commissary will come through with significant savings. And delivering savings to our customers is what the commissary system is all about, because we are a most valued part of the service member's total compensation package," said Maj. Gen. Richard E. Beale Jr., DeCA director. The study also serves as a tool for DeCA management to evaluate policy changes and operational procedures. Since its inception in 1991, the agency has and streamlined its organizational structure and incorporated technological advances to boost operational efficiency. These innovations have been enacted since 1992 when the last market basket study ,... 'V'-- J?.; Beale said. i DeCA contracted Wirthlin Worldwide to do the study. The study con- streamlining pays off for commissaries Re-engineeri- ng, eliminating costly and paperwork. The agency passes the updated information to every commissary computer system. This reduces operating costs for manufacturers and vendors, who pass on the savings in the form of lower prices. DeCA's emerging buying practices focus on patron value by incorporating category management techniques. Category managers make buying decisions on sales of all similar items in a distinct manageable a category group of products perceived as by consumers. Instead of items, just buying the lowest priced for the buyers seek the largest savings highest volume sellers in a category, which helps customers save on purchases. "Compared to 1992, we're spending was done. Agency officials say the latest survey reflects the agency's maturity, and confirms the steps it has taken to be a provider of the commissary benefit. For example, DeCA reduced by 70 percent the number of contracts it uses to buy the goods it sells by establishing Resale Ordering Agreements, which replaced supply, bulletins, blanket delivery orders and blanket purchase agreements. There are now less than 1,000 contracts where there used to be more than 3,300. This results in more accurate pricing for products in stores, and more efficient, less costly operations between DeCA and industry. The Operations Support Center's electronic commerce innovations include electronic pricing and catalog maintenance, a frequent delivery system (a form of delivery) that reduces warehousing requirements and a much more efficient, quicker way to order and receive goods for overseas stores. Electronic data interchange technology allows manufacturers and vendors to submit price and catalog changes to one central office, electronically. g cost-effectiv- e le less on operations, we've greatly H. Miller Chevrolet Larry5650 S. State 264-320- im- proved bill paying to the best in the Department of Defense, and we've updated our inventory management procedures. Overhead is only 1.9 percent of sales. The new study confirms our agency's policies and direction as the best course to take to ensure that DeCA remains the cost effective provider of the commissary benefit," e just-in-tim- iZ tP4873B. ok. t61317A. 7,000 tP4S6SA. Auto., soft top, miles, PL, CD cms., price I-- I6I74SA. xt. Cob. Auto., onto., cwise. air, VOfOOO ft TT AOO H00 white tilt, '94 Chev. Pickup 5p '94 Cavalier RS S-I- 2WD, ext. cob., (60595. , O PW. blue. Bright 06O897M. WD. S-I- onto.. 75K, cass., AIC, till. erase, ext. cab.. shell, t608!9MA. auto., air, PW. PL, white 4WD AIC, tP4838A. Auto., AIC, tilt cruse, 0 1 OO IO 100 tiiA AOO Chev. Cavalier 6I4S4A. auto., AIC, tih, cwise, PW, PI '93 Ford Bronco '92 Olds Cutlass Ciera Mitsubishi Galant '95 mOI3M. '90 Mazda MPV Ext. Cab '89 Cold I6I705A. t60895A. Edition, SO AJ J e o OOO 00 75K miles, loaded! 0 ,000 t 0OOO I Of 00 so0f 000 000 Loaded, nke carl Aula.. AIC, PW, OOO W 000 SO OOO ,770O $0 OOO 7 OO w OOO f 3f 00 OOO $1A VIV700 y OOO if ftg f0 aula., AC, AMFM cass 1543M. '96 PW, PL, CD Pickup ar, wheels O '93 legacy '93 Toyota Tercel '95 Grand Am Chev. Cavalier '93 t6 (P369IA. sa Q0O r7(OO0 O tP47B3A. 4WD, onto., '94 2 sn TOO 'OB coss PL, AB5, Blazer '90 or. '93 lamina Burospert S-I- f cass PL. CLU 4WD. V4.AIC. tUt.cmse F-2-50 H1797A. t6 132A long box I. S ip., coss., '95 Tracker red and convertile! .. bright tP4977. 4WD, convertible. '92 mags Suzuki Sidekick 1580A. Corsica boded '94 Grand Prix tP47IBA. Auto., air. cruise, hit, SE PW, PL, cass MPV 4WD Mazda H1602MA. 4WD, silver Prizm '94 to I6B7M. Auto., LSI ABS, AIC, cruise, 12,988 oo I - -If 400 oOO f000 o0 OO Of 0 0 m $m 3 00 I I f OOO SO Tf f MOO A00 $11 TF 3 I I f IOC I I tP4470MC. 4WD, auto.. AC. coss.. Chev. '92 t6 $ 5000 74(10 till, PL, PW, sunroof... AIC, fP4S57MM. Vortec 4WD, Hi, 0, PW, PW, PL, coss., PL, sunnxl. '95 Geo Metro ISI '93 Chev. '94 Ext. Cab Dually '94 S Jimmy Grand Voyager '95 t6 n '95 Chev. '95 Corvette '96 Subaru legacy I Wgn. '93 GMC Suburban '9 1 Mitsubishi '94 Chevrolet '95 Crown Victoria ITD Ext. Cab '97 ford '89 Sable Wagon tP494B. I9K miles, K-- 10 tP4S20A. 4WD, sportside, 46I4B0A. 4WD, customized, big block, like new 4WD. green, auto., AIC, cwise, (6I34IM. 1545A. Autc., tint cwise, deep AIC, tih gloss, dork green 12-To- 4WD, 350 SB. auto., loaded fP4930. Bright red. 2k mi., every option, save big $0 AOO V0O s II cass cwise, '94 EscortAC.Wagon '93 Cutlass Supremo '94 Lumina APV '92 Geo Metro AC, '93 Suburban Sunblrd '94 Pontlac a. aic ffSOOS. cassette. Auto.. fP4BS0A. Auto., air, PW, ( L t6l854M. Loaded, h i63i Auto., like new Ki. floo 1700 OOO t00 f 0 00 so OOO no oOO f 000 I Of a 7 40O tm tgy rrf f TF y o tmf 000 IVOOO lilt, til 789A. van 00 - ( tmm COq AH f 3 3f O Acura Integra '91 HI603A. AC, cruise $23,995 tm- - 27K miles, loaded '94 Grand boded f 3F 3 f eoo cassette IB. Anytime - No Penally Fast Delivery Good Price TF ,. fP5033. 22K miles, pwr.. loaded 46081 700 West NSL SE 9 AIC, coss. : till, You Own at Lease End Turnha.! Hnii... 35 N. se9 AOO f000 lilt Ford Escort '91 t6!85BA. auto., 1 lumina Euro '9fP4490A. coss AIC, Auto., r C 0O0 $)A 9g 000 tP497i. 4,000 miles, brand new. Auto., AIC, cwise. it t I "g q 0 000 Of 00 F-1- 50 t6!79IM. AOO StO & A fW QO TF IP49B2A. 2WD, ext. cab, auto., loaded! PL, EXCELLENT CONDITION $15,088 q 00 0000 Of tmA OOO lOOOO ttASm OOC 773 OOO $40 "'AAfHOO Aula., AIC, hoded. UK, PW, SALE or LEASE PlIRPHACP TF?1! t i OOO (ia I f000 (6I6408. 35K miles, loaded. tP49BI. STORAGE CONTAINERS SIT 000 I f OOO 510 0O 00O .7 I O f O A 000 St 00 ,ZUfO V253A. 4,500 miles, 4WD, loaded. f6l62lA2. DeCA-operate- SIT I f OOC W toss..... a., auto., AC, . 0 CabJ F.I SO Ext. cwise. '94 f6W0A:4WD, - . , side commissaries. In 1992, the Wirthlin Group did the d first market basket study of commissaries. The study figured patron savings at 23.4 percent. DeCA was formed Oct. 1, 1991, through the consolidation of the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps commissary systems. A 1991 market basket study, also done by the Wirthlin Group, used, data collected before the consolidation, to assess the effect the consolidation would have on patron savings. The 1991 survey figured patron savings at 23.2 percent. niio CDCPialTV 295-- 1 81 1 m nan '92 SuzukiUj.,Swift i ,..v3fOOO r $11 ABA '95 Jeep Wrangler Sip., ItffiOO '92 Grand Am hw so ,OfiOO '93 Chev. r. haded Dually Aflfl S10 I 0700 New Yorker '90 Chrysler so O O O tP790A. 3.3 sidered a representative random sample of commissaries (30 in the United States, 12 overseas, one in Alaska and one in Hawaii) and commercial grocery stores near the contiguous U.S. commissaries. The study gathered and compared prices of about 600 items sold in the stores. The items represented the broad range of what grocery stores seU. . The 29.7 percent savings figure came out of a price comparison that includes sales tax for commercial grocers, and surcharge for commissaries. Data from overseas stores was not obtainable. As an internal management tool, however, data from the overseas commissaries was used in a comparison with data from the state- Am GT I I UK, OO , f00 lyf in mi in n ins ft. 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