European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 25, 1978, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Friday August 25, 1978 the stars and stripes do co stores offer savings of save he Fihnn i. Vex consumer Poge 19 How much do to save by shopping at a commis y As compared to a stateside supermarket my out few weeks several budget conscious readers  the statement that the commissaries offer Sav is of 24.5 percent on food plus non food item for example Raymond Moser of Ramstein. Germany vote that he had his Mother Check the prices on is Ned name items at her neighbourhood store in of o against those offered by the Ham Stein commissary the result according to Moser. Showed Only a 10 percent saving at the military Markett. Col. William Miner chief of Hie Supply manage men division . Army troop support age Nev in Wei Wilcken Germany answered that the figures crediting be commissaries with offering goods 24.55 percent below he prices of a regular supermarket come from a study Jone by the or part mint of defense Todd _ and he sure they Are valid. Even More sceptical Hart Moser about the supposed 24icrcent or More commissary savings is maj. George ii Fredson of Stugart Mol Ringen  creditable is the Dod Survey data ,. When a primary objective of the Survey was to justify the Octen Ion of our commissaries he wrote. He also wished to now How much commissary stable foodstuffs have in creased in Price Over the last year As compared to the in lation rate of either stateside or German outlets."1 doubt that information is either gathered or used by the Dod or european commissary management folks. Believe the costs we in Europe have experienced for food Over the last year exceed the inflation rate and stateside rices our milk increased 50 percent commissary neat carcass 55  for a reply. Roy h Ballinger Deputy director of he troop support Agency Europe Tsa said it Issue that prices have increased in the last year but not to he extent that the major has indicated. For example on Fay 15,1977, the Price of beef carcass was .7794 cents per fund and on May 15. 1978 the Price was .9518 cents per wind or an increase of approximately 22 percent not 55 recent As indicated by the major. The current Price As aug. 9 of carcass beef was .8258 cents per Pound which would represent an approximate six percent in crease Over May 1977. Milk has increased in Price but Here again notto the extent As indicated. The Price of a half gallon of milk on May 15, 1977, was 80 cents. On May is,u78, it was $1.07, an increase of approximately 34 percent. The Price of milk aug. 9, 1978, is 99 cents per Hall gallon which represents Only a 24 percent increase Over the May 1977,  As to Alfredson s Lack of Confidence in the Dod Survey Ballinger says that in the . Such Price comparisons Are made Between a commissary and the nearest two commercial supermarket facilities to determine whether commissary prices meet the minimum savings criteria of 20 percent As prescribed by Congress and Dod. Ballinger goes on to note that the most recent triennial Survey made in february 1976, verified the average watch by Marynett savings of 24 percent in All . Commissaries and this was confirmed in an a depth study performed by the control analysis  the triennial surveys he adds do not include the nonfood items sold in commissaries such As health and Beauty aids cigarettes and household supplies which offer an even greater savings to patrons be cause of the High markup on such hems by Commer Cial stores. In his critical letter. Alfredson also slates that Accord ing to his information the Cost of living is 10 to 15 percent higher in Germany than in Washington. . And that we Don t get our food cheaper than folks in the  " he contends that the Good Deal attitude Only hurts the sol Dier and their families in  closing his letter he asked Why it is that commissary prices change weekly. It would appear that each ship ment from the states has a different Price and always it is  takes exception to both of these statements prices for non perishables and All .-procured Peri Shables sold in army commissary stores in Europe Are established by the defense personnel support Center disc Philadelphia pa., the Central Dod procurement organization for subsistence he  prices Are updated monthly based upon the latest procurement Cost. Based upon this updated Price changes in european army commissary stores Are made once a month normally on the first Day of the month contrary to the major s statement continue Ballinger we do get our food cheaper than folks buying on the . Economy. Items featured in a advertisement by a leading supermarket Chain in Petersburg va., june 28, 1978, were compared wit the prices of identical items at the fort Lee commis sary. In addition prices on these same items were rechecked the following week july 6, 1978, to deter mine Price differentials Between specials and regu Lar prices. Daring the week of advertised specials the supermarket prices were 2s.s percent higher than those of the commissary store. A week later without special prices the supermarket regular prices on these same items were 38 percent higher than the commissary  As to comparing commissary prices overseas with supermarkets Back Home there Are a number of Pitfalls that make the Job  one thing prices vary from one part of the country whether commissaries ohe724went cvin9s is a topic of controversy. To another and some stores generally the big chains take a smaller Mark up than others. Then there is the time Factor. Usually because of the Long pipeline prices in the overseas commissaries Are about three months behind also european purchased produce and meat can be More expensive than that bought in the .All this Means that any comparison of commissary and stateside supermarket prices is Apt in controversial disputed by commissary customers to Are sure that a Superti Aiken sate Price in one Turu Ivy Scales savings Alla Roum keeping Sis in Tiwi. A Fri. I if  checked out  rih by list the Sui Tii i rivet prices come from a can essay shopping   in Hine in the Kluinis j my its Pulc i commissary prices Are from i official i Karkur Price Ziniuk " the  period. Air Force commissary Piu a. In the  might be Dif Ferent As mix k is priced a to Mil Hill of taking on arrival at the Tore and not on Ifie army s Oner monthly basis the first Sei of figures makes use of the supermarket s Sale figures for the items. Here the savings offered by the commissary scorn minimal i on l forget however that the Sale prices arc on time bargains Only Many arc loss leaders offered to lure the customer into the store. The second set of figures compares the regular prices according to the newspaper and i of some of the items. Here savings seem to Back up Miner s report on the Dod findings. The stateside supermarket prices Are listed under super. Usa eur commissary prices Are listed under com. The percentage of difference Between the commissary and supermarket Price is Given in the last column. Sale prices item Contadino Tomato sauce c. Of sea chunk Tun Stokely Green Beans Stokely peas is ocly Golden Corn sherbet hamburger Helper Coronet Bath tissue i Uff s facial tissue Hunt s Tomato sauce Hunt s Ketchup Yogurt Bugle snacks planter s dry roast pea nuts Stew beef ground beef Kraft Phil. Cream cheese Kraft cheese spread Ito Den Amer. Sliced cheese Kraft s Parmesan or. Bubble Bubble Bath baby magic lotion Acline first Aid Spray vaseline int. Care Lotio Modess flex Balsam shampoo a tips total plus a commissary sur charge grand total item Contadino Tomato sauce c. Of sea chunk tuna Stokely Green Beans sherbet hamburger Helper Coronet Bath tissue puffs facial tissue Hunt s Tomato sauce Hunt s Ketchup Yogurt Bugle snacks planter s dry roast pea nuts or. Bubble Bubble Bath Bact inc first Aid Spray vaseline int. Care lotion Modess flex Balsam shampoo a tips unit super com r r 15 of. .33 .36 -9 b Zoz .49 .62 -27 303 can .33 .31 6 303 can .33 .32 3 303 can .33 .22 33 Gal. .99 .75 24 pkg. 66 .60 9 Broll  $1.39 $1.20 14 280-ct. .85 .65 24 8oz. .21 .18 14 32-oz, .89 .79 11 8oz. .25 .15 40 7oz. .59 .50 15 16 of. S1.39 .97 30 in. S1.s9 $1.40 12 in is. 18 $1.01 14 8oz. .59 55 6 5oz 59 .47 20 12oz $1.19 .97 18 8oz. $169 $127 24 if Loz 55 .48 13 16 of. S2.15 $142 .14 4.5 z. $1.29 is. .19 -7 10 of. .89 $1.07 -20 24-ct. $1.69 $1.39 18 16 of. $1.19 $1.32 -10 170-ct. .62 .76 -23 $24.24 $21. 12 13.81 $24.24 $21.93 9t regular prices unit super com r.15 of. .43 .38 16 6 Ion. .81 .62 23303 can .39 .31 20 ural. $1.09 .75 31pkg. .76 .60 21 Broll  $1.45 $1.20 17 280-ct. .89 .65 27 8oz. .22 .18 18 32-oz. .95 .79 17 8oz. .35 .15 57 7oz. .65 .50 23 16 of. $1.59 .97 39 10 of. .75. .48 36 4.5 of. $1.89 $1.39 26 10 of. $1.44 $1.07 26 24-ct. $1.89 $1.39 26 16 of. $1.89 $1.32 30 170-ct. $1.25 .76 39 total $18.69 $13.49 a plus 4ri commissary sur charge .54 grand total $18.69 $14.03 25tc