New Peterson commissary opens

Following the ribbon cutting ceremony, thousands of shoppers crowded the new commissary to take advantage of huge savings. The new commissary has about 52,000 square feet of retail space, nearly twice the size of the old commissary. Pictured are (left to right) Master Sgt. Drew Holland, Mr. Scott Simpson, Mr. Patrick Nixon, Mr. Bobby Mings, Mrs. Yvonne Martinez, Ms. Maklea Martinez, Col. Jay Raymond and Mrs. Mollie Raymond. (U.S. Air Force photo by Roberta McDonald)

New Peterson commissary opens

Shoppers line up in advance of the new Peterson commissary opening Aug. 3. The new commissary features wider aisles and a larger selection of products, including rotisserie chicken and an assortment of exotic items, such as rattlesnake and ice cream bars from the Philippines. (U.S. Air Force photo by Roberta McDonald)

Commissary opening draws hundreds

Published Aug. 6, 2007
By Corey Dahl
21st Space Wing Public Affairs

PETERSON AFB, Colo. -- Move over, Whole Foods. Safeway is so last year. And King Soopers? Over it.

Shoppers here are opting for the newest store in town, Peterson's commissary, which opened Aug. 3. Hundreds of active duty, their families and retirees lined up hours before the store's grand opening to get a glimpse of the 103,000 square-foot facility and its more than 23,000 products.

"I'm very excited for this," said retired Maj. Richmond Moore, who stood outside for two hours on opening day so he could be among the first to get inside the new store. "I don't live far from here so it's going to be really convenient for me to come out and shop."

Convenience is a big part of the new store's philosophy. Located next door to the new base exchange at Pete East, the commissary has wider aisles, self-service checkout stands and digital price tags, which can be changed throughout the store with the flick of a single switch.

The second largest commissary in the world, the store's size allows it to offer a wider variety of products, including an olive bar and exotic meats, such as rattlesnake. Electronic health kiosks sprinkled throughout the store can help consumers make nutritious choices.

"This store is not just bigger," said Col. Jay Raymond, commander of the 21st Space Wing, at the commissary's opening. "It's a lot better."

No one seemed to disagree as customers streamed in to take advantage of 50-percent-off pricing and more than $50,000 in giveaways, including flat-screen TVs and washing machines.

Checking out the store's new produce section, Michele Grady, whose husband is stationed at Peterson, said she'll be coming on base more frequently just to visit the commissary.

"The old commissary was outdated, crowded, the aisles were too small. I probably went there once a month," she said. "This is bigger; there's more stuff. I'll definitely come here more often, maybe twice a month."

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