WATERVLIET ARSENAL, N.Y. (Oct. 2, 2014) -- It has been about five years since I played the "Match It" game at the arsenal's Exchange store and so, I thought I would check back to see if the Exchange still played that game.
A lot has changed since 2009 when former Exchange manager Leon Williams led me from aisle to aisle challenging me to pick an item for him to match the price. For one thing, the small store in 2009 was called a Troop Store, operated by the Army & Air Force Exchange Service. Today, the store is simply called the Exchange.
Back then, Leon said that he priced his products in line with local Rite Aid and Stewart shops, to include sale prices. He also said that he would match any price within $10 without a sales advertisement because he trusted his customers. If his customers told him the price was cheaper elsewhere, he would take their word for it.
As I recall, I challenged Leon to match the price on a case of beer that for some reason was on my mind as being on sale at a local market that week. It must have been the large ad placement that drove my question on beer or the fact that I was in Leon's alcohol aisle that led me to throw out the beer challenge.
Leon matched the price … or should I say he would have matched the price if I wasn't on duty.
Here we are five years and three managers later and I wasn't sure if the "Match It" game was still on and so, I stopped into the Exchange earlier this month unannounced.
Store Manager Reggie Matias had only been at the arsenal for less than two weeks when I walked into his office. The look on his face was as if a reporter from CBS' 60 Minutes had just walked in. After all, I was armed with two cameras and a reporter's note pad.
Without giving Reggie an opportunity to assess the situation, I hit him immediately with the "Match It" game. I challenged him with a variety of recent sales items that I had seen in the Sunday advertisements leading off with … beer. I just wanted to see if the prices had changed from 2009.
Before I could get the second challenge out, Reggie said that he would match the prices of all sale items. This took all the fun out of the game. Not wanting to have this new guy stump me in my own backyard, I looked at other ways I could challenge Reggie.
I recalled that last month the Exchange Senior Enlisted Advisor had visited the arsenal.
During his visit, Chief Master Sgt. Anthony "Tony" Pearson toured our Exchange facility and talked with Soldiers and Department of the Army civilians about how the Exchange can better serve them. One of the Soldiers told Pearson that she would visit the store more often if there was a better selection of healthy foods, such as fresh fruit.
Not thinking that Reggie would be privy to this visit, I challenged him to tell me about what he is going to do to provide a more healthy selection of food products. I sat back with a smug smile and waited for his response.
He said that is a good question … aha, I got him, I thought!
That was until Reggie showed me an information flyer for a program called Operation BEFIT. The program highlights healthy food options, and the Exchange's dietitian ensures all items in the assortment meet military standards. The idea of eating balanced meals full of healthy carbohydrates and lean proteins, staying hydrated and making sure to replenish the calories during workouts may be applied to anyone who wants to improve their lifestyle.
Reggie said he wanted to make one wall available to support the Operation BEFIT program.
So, if he was giving up a wall to accommodate a healthier selection of products, then he would be in essence giving up space he is currently using for other products. I threw that tidbit of an observation out to Reggie.
Reggie knocked down my observation by saying he planned to modify a storage room into product floor space. Thus, giving arsenal customers a broader selection of items.
Just as with Leon, I quickly tired of this conversation with Reggie. Somewhat disgruntled that the new manager beat me on my own field, I asked Reggie why I would ever want to come back to the Exchange store.
Reggie reminded me that historically, two-thirds of Exchange earnings are returned to Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs. In fact, nearly $30,000 was returned to the arsenal in 2013 to support MWR activities.
And, to ensure military families at smaller installations enjoy the same selection and savings as larger Exchange locations, the Watervliet Exchange participates in a Shuttle Program with the Fort Drum Exchange. If Watervliet shoppers can't find an item, they can ask the manager to see whether it can be brought from Fort Drum.
So, the next time you have an urge to shop, you may want to try the Exchange. Not only will arsenal customers get a great price, part of the earnings will also remain here.
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The arsenal's dedicated and highly-skilled workforce contributes to our national security by providing U.S. and foreign militaries the most advanced, high-tech, high-powered weaponry for cannon, howitzer, and mortar systems. The Arsenal is also DoD's sole manufacture of large caliber cannons, from 105mm to 155mm, as well as DoD's manufacture of choice for 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm mortar systems.
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