Dear Vendors, I trust this message finds you well. Recently, leaders from the Military Resale Alliance, representing key figures from each exchange and the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA), convened in Dallas, Texas. Our aim was to assess our collaborative efforts, celebrate achievements, and plan future initiatives. The meeting was fruitful, and we look forward to engaging various groups among you to aid in our endeavors.
A key topic of discussion was Veterans Day, November 2024. Our goal is to increase awareness of military exchange benefits during a time when numerous Retailers offer discounts to our military community. Rather than commercializing this significant day, we propose extending the celebration to five or six days, by focusing on enhancing our commemorative coin program and hosting events to encourage veterans and their families to visit base stores.
Our military community desires novelty and exclusivity. We seek to immediately collaborate with you on products that celebrate and honor their service without commercializing the holiday. Our goal is to enhance value during this period, and we believe working closely with our valued brands is key to achieving this.
We also recognize the potential of leveraging celebrity and influencer networks to amplify our message of honoring veterans, particularly those with a personal connection or appreciation of our nation’s Veterans.
While individual efforts are valuable, a collective approach promises greater impact, ensuring the integrity of the message while providing the recognition and value our patrons deserve.
We seek your input and collaboration to identify the best ideas. We plan to host several Virtual Vendor Town Halls, the first on June 17 at 2 p.m. EST, where we encourage your proactive participation to make this Veterans Day our most impactful yet.
Thank you for your continued support and engagement. Best regards,
ERIC SIDMAN Executive Vice President, Chief Merchandising Officer Army & Airforce Exchange Service - AAFES
ANNE HARGROVE Chief Operating Officer Coast Guard Exchange (CGX)
EDWARD W. WALTERS III Executive Director Sales, Marketing and eCommerce Defense Commissary Agency Headquarters and Support Center
JENNIFER WIBLE Deputy Director, Business Operations, Chief Operating Officer Marine Corps Exchange (MCX)
RICH HONIBALL EVP, Global Chief Merchandising & Marketing Officer Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM)
Military Resale Alliance Virtual Vendor Town Hall June 17th 2024 (2:00 PM START)
2:00- 2:10 "Mission That Matters" – Opening- Rich Honiball -NEX 2:10- 2:20 "The Ask" - Eric Sidman (AAFES) 2:20- 2:25 Cheryl Lemmon (MCX) 2:25- 2:30 Anne Hargrove (CGX) 2:30- 2:35 Edward Walters III (DECA) 2:35- 2:45 Closing Remarks & Q&A
Adina Gadell, NEX/ Merchandise Operations Manager will be the Moderator for this event. Please submit your any questions you have directly to her.
As the Exchange reviews opportunities to strengthen execution of our merchandise programs, we have observed heightened costs surrounding the identification, measurement, and resolution of order shipping and receiving errors within our supply chain. These errors are often the result of simple data or handling exceptions that result in impacts to our customer service when not efficiently managed. In line with industry practice, we employ a Vendor Compliance Program to communicate and resolve these errors with your team.
After consideration of rising costs to administer this program, the Exchange will increase compliance rates effective 1 March 2023. An updated list of Vendor Compliance rates will be available on the webpage of Doing Business with the Exchange. (The Exchange --> Doing Business --> Vendor Compliance (aafes.com))
Please review these changes carefully and note key expectations with your teams. We appreciate your ongoing efforts to help us deliver your products and services with outstanding service to our Servicemen and Women around the world.
Karen A. Cardin EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer Army & Air Force Exchange Service
As we continue to pivot to a “post-pandemic normal,” it is important for us to reach out to each of you, our vendors, and say thank you to those who worked diligently to put our service members first. Over these last few years, we have seen many of you step forward and work with us to find solutions to new joint challenges. These efforts have been and will continue to be critical to our ability to serve and support our Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Marines, Guardians, and Coast Guardsmen.
At the same time, our supply chain in certain categories is lagging at a pace that is slower than acceptable. For example, all Military Resale Exchanges currently experience significant shortfalls in frozen/chill products. The Buying Alliance is working together to find a solution quickly, and we need your help to positively impact the quality of life for our patrons, particularly in overseas locations.
As a leadership team, we are seeking your input in addressing supply chain issues as a collective group. Our model goes far beyond “margin,” putting the needs of our patrons first, and we cannot continue to do so without your support.
We thank you in advance for your continued commitment to the military community.
Karen A. Cardin EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer Army & Air Force Exchange Service
For the full joint letter from our Military Resale Buying Alliance, click below:
Dear Prospective Offeror / Current Contractor / Concessionaire:
The U.S. Congress, in Section 889 of the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA),included a provision barring the U.S. Government from procuring covered telecommunications equipment from certain prohibited sources and their affiliates / subsidiaries. These sources are identified in the NDAA. The NDAA also bars entities of the U.S. Government from contracting with vendors / contractors who use covered telecommunications equipment manufactured or provided from the identified prohibited sources in their operations.
Please review the following documents to determine your company’s compliance.
Effective immediately, all new and existing procurement contracts, including purchase orders, with the Exchange require compliance with the NDAA Section 889. Acceptance and execution of an Exchange purchase order constitutes compliance with the NDAA.This requirement has been added to the Exchange Supplier Requirements and the Exchange P.O. Terms and Conditions covering all new and existing contracts. The Exchange reserves the right to request additional representation for any prospective or existing supplier validating compliances with the NDAA.
Questions regarding compliance should be directed to your Exchange Contracting Officer.
Sincerely,
Karen A. Cardin EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer Army & Air Force Exchange Service
New Drop Ship Compliance Program – Effective 10SEPT21
Exchange Online Drop Ship Suppliers: Since the reinstatement of the Drop Ship Compliance program in June 2021, we took an extensive look at the Rate Codes and have reduced the total number from 49 to 12. The streamlining of the Rate Codes will simplify the program and improve the clarity and understanding of compliance fees.
The updated Drop Ship Compliance program will go into effect 10 September 2021.
A copy of the new program can be found on the link below. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask your compliance POC or email: DSVendorCompliance@aafes.com.
We greatly appreciate your continued partnership & support!
2024 Advertising Rate Card
Dear Valued Vendor:
The 2024 Advertising Rate Card, comprised from various marketing avenues, is now available. The marketing teams look forward to supporting your initiatives and marketing campaigns.
Since March 2020, the Exchange has partnered with our supplier community to remove penalties for fill rate and delivery rate infractions. Going forward, we will begin reinstatement of the compliance standards and related fees effective 1 June 2021.
It is critical to maintain the level of customer service and expectations we both expect by communicating any supply chain disruptions that affect your business and ours. However, we will work with you on any specific challenges you may have in partnership with the Exchange.
We ask for your help to continue to support the Exchange and prioritizing your production and deliveries to meet our customer’s needs. We appreciate your continued partnership to support the very best customers in world!
Be safe,
Ana Middleton President/CMO
Eric J. Sidman SVP, Merchandising Directorate
Dear Valued Partners:
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and in an abundance of caution, the Exchange is conducting vendor meeting as much as possible via phone, teleconference, or WebEx. We are actively monitoring local, national, and world-wide COVID-19 news, and will continue to work closely with our valued vendor partners.
Thank you for your support, flexibility, and continued commitment to our military community.
Ana Middleton President/CMO
Anna C. Iosefo SVP, Merchandising Directorate
Dear Vendor Partners:
In abundance of caution, the Exchange is pausing food and beverage samplings and other demonstrations in our stores and national brand food concepts. We are actively monitoring COVID-19 news, and our General Managers around the world continue to work closely with local military leadership to ensure the safety of all our shoppers, associates and partners.
Thank you for your support and flexibility as the situation evolves.
Ana Middleton President/CMO
Anna C. Iosefo SVP, Merchandising Directorate
Vendor Partner,
The Exchange is investing significant time, money, and resources toward supply chain improvements, particularly in Transportation and Warehouse Management Systems (WMS). On February 3rd, the Exchange will be upgrading the WMS at the Dan Daniel Distribution Center in Newport news, VA. with the best-in-class, JDA WMS. This implementation will streamline processes, improve speed of throughput, and ultimately improve the customer experience at Exchange stores where customers purchase your products.
The Exchange expects the implementation to be a smooth transition, and safe guards have been put in place to ensure success with a planned 60 days stabilization period. In the event you have any questions or experience any issues with the delivery of orders going to the Dan Daniel Distribution Center, please contact their Customer Service office, at email DDDCCustSer2@aafes.com or call 757-888-2862.
The Exchange appreciates your support.
New Business Terms Agreement (BTA) and Updated EDI Requirements
Suppliers, the Exchange''s Business Terms Agreement (BTA) has moved to an online workflow! We have also updated our Supplier Requirements to reflect the requirements for Electronic Data Interchange (EDI). Please click here to read more!
1010data
Dear Valued Vendor,
Effective 04 February 2016, Supplier Sales and Inventory reports will no longer be available on the Exchange Partners Online website. In order to access these free reports, please visit: https://www2.1010data.com.
Please note, all other reporting will still be accessed through the EPOL site, to include Invoicing, TMS, POG Data, Claims and PO.
Our shopmyexchange.com platform uses Radial Drop Ship Manager (VendorNet) to provide the system-to-system interface to transmit customer online orders to all eCommerce Drop Ship supplier partners. Radial Drop Ship Manager has an EDI interface (preferred) along with a Browser-based interface available to Non-EDI partners if needed. Radial Drop Ship Manager provides the supplier partner community with visibility to all of their drop ship orders processed through our shopmyexchange.com site.
All of our eCommerce Drop Ship supplier partners are expected to ship within 48 hours from when the online order was placed. This has become an industry standard and will be used as a key performance indicator to ensure online customers'' fulfillment expectations are being met.
To become an eCommerce Drop Ship supplier please contact your Exchange buyer to start the onboarding process with Radial. Should you have questions or comments concerning this program, please e-mail the eCommerce Drop Ship Support Team at DSSupport@aafes.com.
Thank you for your support.
Ana Middleton EVP/Chief Merchandising Officer
KAREN A. CARDIN Senior Vice President, eCommerce Directorate
E-Business: Vendor Training Opportunities
Vendor Learning Videos have been placed in our Exchange Website under Vendor Seminar, supplier will be able to view EPOL (Exchange Partners On-Line), eCommerce, Oracle RMS, Trade Promotion Management, Finance and Accounting and how to request Sales Data Information from 1010data. Find link to Vendor Learning Video here.