The commissary's curbside grocery pickup program started its expansion to new locations Friday, while also announcing the closure of the three current locations -- and adding a service fee.
The program, known as Click2Go, has been available for free through a pilot program at three commissaries -- at Fort Lee, Virginia; Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska; and Travis Air Force Base, California -- since 2013. In July 2017, Defense Commissary Agency officials announced plans for expansion, but gave no details on when or where.
Now, 20 months later, the system has added its first new location: Fort Eustis, Virginia. But at the same time, officials announced that the Fort Lee, Offutt and Travis locations, which are operated under a different contract, will be shuttering when that contract ends June 1.
Although the service at Eustis will be free for a promotional period through the end of March, shoppers there will pay a $4.95 service fee per order starting April 1, officials said in a release. That is similar to the fee paid for curbside delivery at some off-base grocery stores.
Next to receive the new program "at a time to be determined" will be the commissary at Naval Air Station Oceana, Virginia, officials said in a release. After that, customers can expect a rollout to locations worldwide over the next four years, with plans to eventually reopen the service at the original three locations.
But don't get too excited. Not all commissary locations will offer the service, officials cautioned.
"A variety of factors, including sales and transactions, existing infrastructure and demographics, will determine if a commissary is suitable for Click2Go," they said in the release.
Shoppers will place their orders on the commissary's website. After choosing their items, shoppers must select a pickup time that is at least six hours but not more than six days out. Orders are paid for at time of pickup.
Curbside orders can be paid for with credit cards that do not require the user to enter a PIN. Cash, checks, debit cards that require a PIN, food stamps and Women, Infants and Children (WIC) vouchers are not accepted for pickup orders.
Coupons are accepted for Click2Go orders, officials said.
Unlike commissary baggers, who work for tips only, Click2Go workers are not permitted to accept tips.
