European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 18, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Shopping the allies need to jump Start your Christmas shopping try the Canadian British or French Exchange by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau. Holiday shoppers in Central Europe with the urge for something a bit different May want to venture Over to an allies military Exchange or commissary. Like their . Counterparts the British Canadian and French forces based in Germany have shops that carry goods from Quot Back  american military id card holders Are permitted to buy in these stores and the Hoy thays Are a perfect time to make the trip. Quot it s different Quot said Graham Stirling a spokesman for the British Exchange system known As the Navy army amp air Force Institute. When the British Quot go through an american store it s different and i think any american who goes into a Nasafi shop would feel the  the British operate stores at More than a dozen installations in Northern and Northwestern Germany. The French have More than two dozen stores in Western Germany both the British and French have stores in Berlin. Canadians have stores in Lahr Baden Solingen and Geilenkirche though that will be changing As the North american ally completes its pullout of forces by Jan. To 1995. The main Exchange in Lahr will be shifted to smaller buildings in May and All shopping facilities there will close by August 1994, said Tom Badcock a spokesman for Canadian forces Exchange Europe. Closure will come even sooner for the Baden Selling in canes facilities. The entire operation is scheduled to close by August. The facility at Geilenkirche will remain open to serve Canadian and nato forces. To reduce inventory at the stores that Are closing select items at the exchanges Are periodically marked Down 50 percent to 75 percent on saturdays Badcock said. The clearance sales include items that have been on display or discontinued As Well As product lines that Are being phased out. Earlier this year for example canes decided to Stop Selling computers so it put its Stock on Sale. In addition there Are weekly specials that run from wednesday through saturday. No preferential treatment is Given to the canadians. Badcock said. Quot a Sale is a Sale Quot Badcock said. Quot we Are not going to restrict our sales to just canadians. We Welcome everybody to  products sold at the Canadian exchanges do not differ substantially from items available at a commissary or an cafes store. One obvious difference is that Many goods sport labels written in English and French a reflection of the country s bilingual culture. Aside from groceries clothes and Oil products canes prices Are competitive with cafes Badcock said. But the ability of cafes to buy in huge quantities is a Clear advantage. Quot there Are just certain product lines that we can t compete Quot Badcock said. Quot we make no Bones about  the exchanges offer Llandro figurines and Bossons ceramics Swaro ski Crystal Denby earthenware and numerous native Canadian souvenirs and carvings. Bata shoes and Alexandre of England men s clothing Are offering close out sales through Christmas As both companies pull out. In addition the sports and toy store at Lahr a which has an extensive line of hockey gear a is offering sales through Christmas to reduce its Stock. Sales will continues amps John Bomar Sylvie Humbert an employee at the French store in downtown Trier arranges a jewelry display. After the holidays As Well. Quot the period after Christmas you will see some tremendous sales As we try to reduce inventory,1 Badcock said. Canadian commissaries Are open 9 . To 6 . Monday through saturday. Retail stores Are open 10 . To 6 . On the same Days and the exchanges stay open until 9 . On wednesdays. Express arts Are open 9 . To 9 . Seven Days a week. French stores Are scattered across Western Germany with the largest centers in Trier Baden Baden and Berlin. For All their potential lure the French stores rarely attract americans said Alain Beauvoir sales manager for econ mat. In Berlin for example americans accounted for less than 5 percent of sales. That store is slated to close in the summer of 1994. Quot the americans were not Good clients they did t spend much Money Quot Beauvoir said. Quot it s exceptional to see an american car Quot even in Baden Baden the econ mat Headquarters. Kaiserslautern was an exception primarily because of the High concentration of americans. . Customers accounted for about 40 percent to 50 percent of sales there. However even that was t enough to offset the pullout of French forces. The shop closed earlier this year. The closure is one of Many econ mat stores that have or will close As part of the French military draw Down Beauvoir said. In 1991, about a dozen outlets rolled up the carpet. Three shops a one each in Trier Baden Baden and Landau a Are slated to close in 1993. In the 60s, there were about 100 French shops throughout the former West Germany Beauvoir said. Currently there Are 20 French econ mat stores in Germany. French president Francois Mitterrand intended to close All of the shops in conjunction with a 1990 plan for the withdrawal of the 36,000-member Force from Germany by 1994. That plan was replaced earlier this year by one calling for a troop strength of Between 10,000 and 15,000. Quot if we have a military in Germany we will not close All the shops Quot Beauvoir said. And that s Good new for americans who do shop at the French stores for items ranging from wines to perfumes. On average econ mat shops offer about 100 different wines ranging in Price from 2 Marks to 300 Marks. Special orders Are taken. Cognac armagnac a Brandy distilled from wine in the province of Gascolgne and Calvados an Apple Brandy produced in Normandy Are available in gift crystals for those who have a taste for something other than wine. Americans can also Sample a variety of cheeses pates and bread baked daily. French luxury items available include Christople silverware Hermes silk scarves dior Luggage and an array of French perfumes. Popular picks for americans Are cast Iron pots bicycles and Varnet sunglasses. Lacoste clothing is also Worth a look. Visitors to a French econ mat should remember the stores typically close for about two or three hours in the Early afternoon. Quot it s always a Surprise for the americans to learn that we Are closed Quot Beauvoir said. A at midday the French people Are eating. They done to buy in the shops Quot most of the stores Are open by 9 . And close about noon or 12 30 . They reopen starting at about 3 . And remain open until at least 7 . Store hours Are Shorter on saturdays and All shops Are closed on sundays. British exchanges Are concentrated in Northern and Northwestern Germany with the largest facility at Rhei Dahlen near monchengladbach. The British Exchange in Berlin is the second largest followed by fallin Bostel North of Hannover and Munster and Osnabrock which Are Between Dortmund and Bremen. The British also Are in a draw Down Mode closing smaller stores As the forces leave Germany said Stirling the Nasafi spokesman. Other stores will Likely close in 1993, but Stirling is not sure which ones. Since 1990, the British have closed nine stores. Currently there Are 68 stores in Germany Quot our draw Down is certainly slower than anybody else a Quot Stirling said browsing through a British Exchange enables americans to shop for european items with perhaps a Little less anxiety than in a French or German store Given the Kings or Queens English a you can ask for what you want Quot Stirling said. Quot i m sure the common language is one of the reasons Nayfis Are popular and Why cafes stores Are popular  the stores Stock ceramics from companies such As Wedgewood Royal Doulton Aynsley Kaiser and David Winter cottages. There also Are about 30 types of perfumes and colognes from Boss and Yves St Laurent to Lagerfeld and Rocha. Marks amp Spencer Bath oils and powders Are available As is the company a popular clothing line. In addition Nasafi grocery stores offer plenty of edibles that Are unique to the United kingdom such As pork pies from Nottingham England which arrive fresh every thursday. The pies Are in great demand Stirling said and Are often gone in a few Days. Another Staple is Nasafi Tea a favorite of Many in Britain including the Sarah Ferguson the Duchess of York and a military brat Alumna. A Wergle used to drink it when she was a youngste1. But i Don t think that s a Good thing to advertise anymore Quot Stirling said. A wide Range of German and French wines is Avarace c but the prices can t compare to cafes Stirling  to monthly promotions however typically feature a couple of wines that sell for about 3.20 Marks a liter. Beer is something else. Nayfis feature a variety of Sis John Bomar Francois Mev wafer above checks out the wine selection while at left Girard Cyrille takes in die footwear at the econ mat in Trier. Hamburg Berlin so John Bomar brews that include some distinctive brands such As guinness Mcevans Tennent and Boddington. Quot if you have Ever fancied a British Beer give it a go Quot Stirling said. Interestingly the original Budweiser Beer is also in Stock though it tastes different than its offspring. The Beer which is brewed in Czechoslovakia comes in bottles and its Label reads Budvar Budweiser. The Beer dates Back to two czechoslovakian Brothers one of whom immigrated to America Nasafi stores have sales nearly every month Stirling said. The current promotion lasts through the end of the month. The Price for some 14-Inch color television sets for example have been reduced by about 100 Marks Stirling said. The next buyers special begins Jan. 25 and a clearance Sale is planned for Jan. 28, with clothing fragrances electrical appliances and i i stereo equipment among the featured products. The discount for the first week of the Sale is about 30 percent Stirling said. When it comes to the checkout line Canadian French and British stores All take German Marks and their own currency Many especially the larger stores take visa or Mastercard but not All Bonn # de Frankfurt be be be a a Stuttgart is Allied shopping areas Canadian stores French stores a Baden sol i Ingen b acheron a Geilenkirche in Baden Baden a Lahr in Berlin d Brisach British facilities in Buhl a Berlin in Donau Eschinger a Detmold be Furth in Wald a Dortmund de Kehl Oberkirch a fallin Bostel be Landau a Herford de Pforzheim o wheeze is Jastatt a Munster is Haarburg a Osnabrock be Speyer a Rhei Dahlen is Stetten a sen Elager to St Wendel be Trier be vol Lugen is Wittlich 545 Susan Harris Page 14 the stars and stripes Friday december 18. 1992 the stars and stripes Page 15