New commissary on target for April opening Published Jan. 15, 2009 By Wayne Crenshaw 78 ABW/PA ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, Ga. -- In less than three months customers will no longer have to struggle through the narrow, one-way aisles of the base commissary, or traipse up stairs to get in the front door. The opening of the new, larger commissary has been set for April 23, said Paula Lewis, the store director. The building is largely completed and workers are now installing shelving and getting the store ready for stocking. With a sales area of 39,000 square feet, it will be 15,000 square feet larger than the current commissary, where the aisles are so narrow that arrows on the floor direct shoppers to go in only one direction. The freezer and cooling sections, along with the bakery, will all be much larger in the new store, Ms. Lewis said. The store will have a wider selection of goods and better lighting, she said. The total building, including warehouse space, is 70,000 square feet. "This is going to be a major improvement," Ms. Lewis said of the new store. "It's definitely going to be a benefit for customers." In July 2007, the $15.8 million construction contract was awarded to Caddell Construction of Montgomery, Ala. Completion was originally targeted for October 2008, but the project was delayed due to outdated specifications, Ms. Smith said. The new commissary is located next to the current commissary and across from the Base Exchange. The commissary can be used by anyone with a military ID card, including retirees, from any branch. There is no sales tax, but the store does have a 5-percent surcharge to pay for the new building. Despite the sharp decline of people living on base in recent years, Ms. Lewis said commissary sales have actually been increasing. Sales totaled $29 million in 2008, a 7 percent increase from the previous year, she said. The number of employees at the new store will rise from 70 to 97. Ms. Lewis said she has already hired 10 additional employees at the current store in preparation for the move. The new store will also go from the current 11 registers to 14 registers plus four self-checkout quads. She hopes to add a couple of more registers to the current plans at the new store. After the shelving is completed and interior work finished, stocking of dry goods will begin. Then some decorative work will be done, and shortly before the opening the perishable goods will be stocked. Retired sergeant John Sutton was shopping at the current commissary on Tuesday, and looking forward to the opening of the new store. "I'm expecting it will have more products, more selection and not be as crowded," he said.