MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- When James Hayden took over as the Depot Commissary director in November, he sought out to improve the store's appearance, efficiency and overall quality of produce and selection.
Hayden has high hopes that the changes he will implement Jan. 1 will turn his vision into reality.
One of the first changes will be increasing and changing the selection of the "Grab 'n' Go" area and increasing visibility near the front entrance, said Hayden. The area will be stocked with sandwiches, salads, beverages, yogurt and other items. Customers can take their items directly to the express line, which will be located closer to the entrance, making for quicker service.
To reduce overcrowding in the lines, the express line will be moved from register one to register 10, creating an additional line at the opposite end of the store. This means less waiting in line.
"It'll be a quick in and out for the customers," explained Hayden. "They can just grab something from the Grab 'n' Go and then go straight to the express line and not have to go across to the other end of the store."
According to Hayden, one of the biggest problems the store faces is long lines on Recruit Liberty and Family Day - a problem that can be solved with a simple logistical change.
"On Family Day we get a whole lot of recruits at one time, so everything's a big bottleneck," explained Hayden, who admitted that when business is really busy, the express line and the regular line overlap. By adding another line at the other end of the store, it eases the congestion, so even if we're busy we won't have two lines overlapping."
In addition to the improvements, Hayden also said they are going to try different things to enhance the appearance of the store.
"We're going to do a lot of cleaning up and painting, and we're working on replacing some old equipment, such as stand-alone refrigeration units in the deli section," said Hayden.
Hayden added that store employees will work even harder to ensure the shelves are fully stocked all day and that there is high quality produce at reasonable prices.
"We're always working on improving quality," he said. "In the old days, the commissary used to be price first, quality second. Well, nowadays we're looking more at quality first and price second."
Another thing shoppers can look forward to will be more Case Lot Sales. Since items are sold by the case, shoppers save more money at wholesale prices.
"We want people to think of us before going [out in town]," said Hayden. "It's already a good operation," he said. "I just want to bring it to a higher level of service."