New Exchange expected to open doors this summer Published April 19, 2013 By Carl Grusnick 377th Air Base Wing Public Affairs KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. -- With signage announcing its presence and entrances enticing shoppers, it is clear that something new is coming to the Kirtland Exchange shopping experience. "We began the planning effort for what our Kirtland team members are now seeing, about 10 years ago," said Bob Cooper, Kirtland Army Air Force Exchange Service manager. "The project to this point could not be going smoother." With a construction budget of approximately $15.5 million, the new Exchange will be 25 percent larger than the current store, which was built in the 1970s. The store's construction is paid for from non-appropriated AAFES funds, with much of the construction by New Mexican companies. The only real challenge has been the strong winds that have at times interrupted building operations, Cooper said. In a departure from the previous Kirtland Base Exchange footprint, the new building will house shopping enterprises formerly found in the Mini-Mall. "We're really pleased that all of our base offerings, like the furniture store, outdoor center, barber and beauty shop, and dry cleaners will be co-located in the new store's mini-mall area," Cooper said. Also soon to be housed in the new exchange will be military clothing, a pharmacy, alterations, an optometry and optical shop, floral shop and GNC retailer to round out the new mini-mall area. With an interior designed in a modified warehouse style, with polished concrete floors and exposed overhead infrastructure, forethought combined with the study of national and regional customer tastes, has been part of merchandise planning. Using twin anchors of an all-new expanded electronic Powerzone, sporting enhanced displays allowing customers to get hands-on time before they buy, and a "Be Fit," sports-oriented area combining all fitness apparel, equipment and accessories into a single space, the new exchange aims to hit the mark on what today's customer desires. "We'll be adding the popular Bare Minerals, Smash Box and Too Faced, to an expanded cosmetic offering, which will also include the very popular Jack Black line for men," Cooper said. New to the store will be a firearms department for sports shooting enthusiasts. With floor traffic expected to increase by 25 percent, exchange staffing will be increased by 10 percent. A much larger and improved food court will provide menu selections by Popeye's, Charley's, Dominos, Subway and Dunkin Donuts, who are on board to provide lunch-hour shopping convenience. A project this large required planning to begin early to ensure successful execution. Early development began in 2003, which incorporate positive retail experiences from new designs in other locations, including merchandising display and layout. "AAFES has been adopting a new experience and feel for some time, and Kirtland will benefit from what we have learned works best," Cooper said. "Every day, we hear from our customers on improvements they would like to see in the store; we really want to be our customers' first choice in shopping." Realignment of merchandise display will occurr with products more intuitively arranged to ease shopping and selection. Exchange and military clothing store access are limited to military ID card holders. Most mini-mall services and eateries are open to everyone with base access. The new exchange is expected to open in late June and represents the most recent AAFES investment to Kirtland. In October 2011, a new Express convenience store and fuel station opened on the West Side. The East Side Express is now undergoing a freshening, with an update to the interior and exterior to contemporary customer appeal. Approximately 66 percent of local Exchange profits are returned to local base morale, welfare and recreation activities. In 2011, $515,703 was provided to Kirtland AFB by Exchange shoppers. All funding for the new Exchange construction comes from AAFES, headquartered in Dallas, Texas. "We offer considerable value to the customer when they shop here, including all purchases being free of sales tax," Cooper said.