Latest Survey Shows NEX Customers Continue to Save Money

By Kristine M. Sturkie, Navy Exchange Service Command Public Affairs

VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) received the results of its annual market basket survey Jan. 13.

The latest results show customers continue to save an average of 22 percent below civilian retail prices, not including sales tax, when they shop at their NEX.

"We hire an outside company, RetailData, to do a price survey in different areas of the United States to obtain an average percentage number for how much our customers save when they shop at a NEX," said Tess Paquette, NEXCOM senior vice president, chief merchandising officer. "Once again, the NEX has verified we save our customers money. We are excited that we were able to maintain this 22 percent savings for our customers, especially during these tough economic times."

To determine the percentage of savings, the same products were surveyed from region to region. The items included major appliances, consumer electronics, furniture, clothing, housewares, sporting goods and more. The different stores shopped for comparison prices included discount stores, mass merchants, full-line department stores and category-killer stores.

The survey compared prices on approximately 350 branded items in the NEX inventory against major retailers across the continental United States and Hawaii. The survey proved NEX customers saved 10.87 percent over WalMart; 35.72 percent over J.C. Penney; 25.93 percent over Dick's Sporting Goods; 32.08 percent over 7 Eleven; and 25.26 percent over Office Max.

Departments with some of the highest savings were domestics at 45.10 percent; stationary at 40.77 percent; boys clothing at 37.07 percent; girls clothing at 23.36 percent; infant clothing at 31.12 percent; men's clothing at 30.13 percent; and sporting goods at 26.76 percent.

The survey also determined customer savings in each of the eight different areas of the country surveyed:

- Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, save 26.41 percent;

- Everett, Wash., save 22.87; percent

- Great Lakes, Ill., save 22.64 percent;

- Bethesda, Md., save 22.10 percent;

- San Diego, Calif., save 21.84 percent;

- Jacksonville, Fla., save 20.95 percent;

- Norfolk, Va., save 20.31 percent

- Pensacola, Fla., save 19.96 percent.

"Offering our customers savings every day reinforces our NEX brand and the benefit of shopping the NEX," said Paquette. "We want NEX customers to be confident they can save money every day when they shop the NEX, not just for sale items. Our mission is to provide quality goods and savings, and to support Navy quality of life programs. That is what we do and the reason we exist."

For more news from Navy Exchange Service Command, visit www.navy.mil/local/nexcom/.