Consumer Watch: Exchanges offer extended hours, holiday specials - Military Money, Navy Money, navy pay, pay charts - Navy Times

Consumer Watch: Exchanges offer extended hours, holiday specials

It’s that time of year — holiday specials are coming to your local military stores on base and online.

The military exchanges are being tight-lipped about their sales for fear of tipping off the competition, but they have provided some details of a few items that will be on sale.

Here are the specials at the exchanges online store on Nov. 27:

• Special buy on 42-inch AVOL high-definition TVs, $499.

• Save $150 on Whirlpool 3.5-cubic-foot top-load washer and 7-cubic-foot top-load electric dryer combination. Sale $599, regularly $750. Also, the gas combination is on sale for $640, regularly $800.

• Sterling silver Diamond Dust Hourglass Pendant, sale $19.95, regularly $49.95.

• Swarovski annual ornament, sale $49.95, regularly $59.95.

Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores in the continental U.S. will open early the weekend after Thanksgiving (times are local) — at 4 a.m. Nov. 27; 6 a.m. Nov. 28; and 9 a.m. Nov. 29.

On the day after Thanksgiving, AAFES stores will offer:

• 25 percent off all Dooney and Bourke handbags from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.

• 25 percent off all Coach handbags from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

• 50 percent off all Asics footwear from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Depending on the size of the store, employees will distribute 60 to 200 “scratch-off” cards to early-bird customers and to shoppers coming in after 4 p.m. Every scratch-off will be a winner, ranging from free soft drinks to $100 gift cards.

AAFES has additional special sales planned for December, including “early bird” specials Dec. 5, 19 and 24. Authorized customers can browse sales fliers for particular weeks at odin.aafes.com/this_week/default.asp.

Along with the sales and giveaways, AAFES stores will have some of the latest gifts, including the new line of Ed Hardy jewelry, Xbox military appreciation bundles and other items.

Navy exchange

Some of the items that will be sale-priced at Navy exchanges during the holidays include:

“Wii Fit Plus” and “Wii Sports Resort” games; Vera Bradley “Symphony in Hue” collection’s reversible tote and turn lock wallet; Oakley Flak Jacket sunglasses; KitchenAid mixer; Citizen Calibre perpetual calendar watch; Hasbro Littlest Pet Shop 10-pack of pets; Sony Cyber-shot DSC-TX1 digital camera; JVC 42-inch Class LCD high-definition TV; Sony 8-inch digital picture frame; Dyson DC24 Ball vacuum cleaner; Fossil men’s black ion-plated diamond-marker watch; Anne Klein charm watch; and Calvin Klein women’s Holiday Coffret fragrance set.

Exchange officials did not provide details on sale dates or sale prices. Check with your local store.

Toyland, toyland

Aside from the specials sprinkled throughout the holidays on all sorts of other items, the exchanges have opened their expanded toy sections for the holidays and will offer various specials.

Also, the AAFES 2009 Toy Book print catalog features 52 pages of toys for the tykes, with prices good through Dec. 6. The Toy Book offers more than $400 in coupons and a sweepstakes with more than $22,000 in prizes, including a $2,500 AAFES gift card and a $500 AAFES gift card, a Sharp 40-inch LCD TV, a Joykie bike and others.

Military shoppers can register for the sweepstakes online or in AAFES stores.

If you’re not near an AAFES store, you can browse even more toy selections at the Toy Book online catalog at www.aafes.com, www.navy-nex.com, www.usmc-mccs.org, or www.cg-exchange.com. Click on “Babies and Toys” and then “Toys.”

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Questions? Comments? E-mail staff writer Karen Jowers at kjowers@atpco.com.