In honor of the Month of the Military Child, this story is provided and presented by our sponsor The Army & Air Force Exchange Service. The Exchange was established by General Orders No. 46 in 1895 to provide goods and services to military members and their dependents.
Outfitting kids with quality and style is often difficult to do—especially when they are outgrowing clothes every three months. This was the challenge the Exchange childrenswear merchandise team took on when they set out to create a simplified pricing structure that would help military parents get the best possible value in kids' clothes without sacrificing quality.
"We didn't want to offer poorly-made clothes that were 'thrown together' and would disintegrate after a few washings," said Divisional Merchandise Manager, Mark Dickman. "Our military kids deserve clothes that are cute, stylish and trendy and their parents need to be able to outfit them for the lowest possible price."
Everyday Low Pricing
The everyday low pricing strategy that Dickman and his team formulated was simple and easy for parents to remember when trying to comparison shop. All childrenswear is priced at either $5; two for $15; $10; $15; and $20.
See a video about the program here.
"The pricing strategy has worked well for the Exchange and our customers," said Dickman. Now in its fourth year, the program is still going strong. "Customers have responded to what we are doing. It's evidenced by what we are selling. Our childrenswear department has become a shopping destination for many military parents. Customers are constantly amazed by how much they can get for their money. For $200, a customer can purchase an entire wardrobe of 10 outfits rather than just a few pieces. That makes branded clothing that kids want to wear more in reach of the typical family."
According to Dickman, Exchange vendors partnered with his team to make this simplified pricing program possible and to sustain it over time. "Vendors are able to partner with us by having an understanding of the value we are trying to bring to the military customer," he said. "Both the Exchange and our vendors have worked together to reach lower costs and we are passing that savings on to the families we serve."
See the great selection of children's apparel available at our online children's store.
