Imagine a world with no sales tax – having the ability to walk into a store, purchase as many items as you desire, and not having to worry about calculating how much more your total will be with taxes included. Except for the occasional tax-free weekend before a new school year, for most consumers accounting for sales taxes is a part of life. That extra 8.25 percent at the register, nonetheless, is becoming less and less of a burden for many area residents. They are members – or relatives of a member – of the U.S. armed forces and are taking advantage of the assortment of Army & Air Force Exchange Service (AAFES) stores around the country. From elegant ‘eau de parfum’ to sturdy washing machines, and everything in between, Houston’s only AAFES military exchange store rivals the likes of national chains like Target and Wal-Mart. A sliding door grants you access to the facility at Ellington Field; in-store catalogs highlight weekly specials; uniformed employees greet you inside the store and offer their assistance; flat screen televisions line the back wall of the building; an in-store restaurant offers the standard retail-chain-menu of personal pizzas and chicken strip combos; a barber shop run by Rose specializes in “all men’s haircutting”; and shoppers make their way to the register lines with an assortment of products inside of their shopping carts. To purchase merchandise, sans sales tax, at this facility one only has to present a valid military identification. “It really is one of the best kept secrets in the city,” says Brian Rinehart, airport manager of Ellington Field. “Since only military personnel and their families can shop at the exchange, it makes sense to have it here where the armed forces have such a strong presence.” The AAFES is a joint military organization that provides quality merchandise and services to active duty, guard and reserve members, military retirees and their families at competitively low prices. Roughly two-thirds of the organization’s earnings are dedicated to morale, welfare and recreation programs for active and retired members of the military.

© Houston Airport System For the Troops. This is one store where you can actually splurge and feel good about it.

In 2006, the figure allocated for this purpose was valued at $232 million.

“People like the idea of not having to pay taxes, so this is the number one incentive for our shoppers,” says Sylvia Durham, AAFES general manager at Ellington Field. “If there is a variance, we actually match the outside price so the customer has a savings on being able to challenge a price and still won’t have to pay taxes on the item.”

Usually the difference in price is about 20 percent less than at a regular department store, Durham adds. Items unavailable at the Ellington Field location can be ordered online and delivered to the store in a matter of days.

“I do shop online because I’m used to a larger installation,” says Karen Alexander, military retired nurse and AAFES shopper. “You can get more variety online, and you can also get online specials and access advertisements from different facilities.”

Outside of Houston, Galveston and Galena Park have their own AAFES military stores, but the largest facility in Texas is located in San Antonio. That facility almost quadruples the size and selection of the Ellington Field military exchange.

Last year, the Houston AAFES store – which has been in operation at the airport since 1986 – generated more than $2.2 million in total revenue.

“I like that it’s really close on the base,” says Sr. Airman Franklin, a member of the Texas Air National Guard at Ellington Field. “I work here full time as a technician for the Department of Defense and this is a good place to get lunch.”

If early speculations are true, active and retired military personnel in Houston may soon have a larger selection to choose from at Ellington Field. According to Durham, the idea of building a larger facility at the new 43-acre US Armed Forces base at the airport, which is still under construction, has been thrown around. That facility is expected to be completed by March of 2008 and will bring an additional 2,500-plus reservist to Ellington.

Currently, 1,300 members of the Texas Air National Guard are already stationed at the airport – along with members of the US Coast Guard and the Texas Army National Guard. Whatever the outcome, shoppers at the AAFES seem to appreciate the opportunity to help their fellow men and women in uniform while at the same time taking advantage of the store’s considerable savings.

“It’s sort of a give back,” says Alexander. “We’ve given to the government and the military and it’s just a little give back to save a dollar here and there.”

Over the past 10 years the Army & Air Force Exchange Service organization has generated more than $2.4 billion in revenue for military morale, welfare and recreation programs. To find out more about the AAFES, visit www.aafes.com.

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