“Rewarding and challenging” are the words that Robin Pruett used to describe her

first 10 months as tactical and sporting goods buyer, in addition to her other centralized buying responsibilities in the Marine Corps Personal and Fam-ily Readiness Division (PFRD) for the Marine Corps Exchange (MCX). “Our sales growth has been very rewarding, yet it has also been challenging to keep up with the demands for product in our stores,” she continued. “It has also been challenging to find a balance between taking care of the individual needs of the commands and sites while also work-ing toward clustering our assortments.”

At the same time, Pruett noted, “There haven’t been too many surprises, as I came into this area knowing there would be many challenges, yet also many exciting opportunities to develop strategies to continue our growth in these categories.”

“SKU INTENSIVE”Besides tactical and sporting goods, Pruett also buys hardware

and automotive, “both of which are also very SKU-intensive, so I am constantly looking for ways to better manage my time so I can take care of the needs of all my departments.

“The tactical area is an exciting area to buy,” Pruett admitted. “One really interesting trend I saw at the Shooting, Hunting, Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show and Conference, held this past January, was in the lighting category. Two of our vendors, Sure-Fire and Streamlight, are developing lights that use AA batteries rather than the 123A batteries currently in most tactical lighting.

SALES GROWTH“Sales in general tactical, which includes categories such as

lighting, eyewear, bags, gloves, pads and pens, are up 40 percent for fiscal year to date through March,” she reported, “while knives and hydration were showing more modest increases of 13 to 15 percent.

“Tactical sales for 2009 were up 23.7 percent over the previous year,” Pruett added. “They came in at $13.77 million vs. $11.13 million in 2008. Deployments have contributed significantly to our success in tactical sales.

“Fiscal 2009 tactical sales for our 14 CONUS commands were $12.44 million, and $1.33 million for our two OCONUS commands,” she said. “We currently do not have any commands downrange.”

TOP-SELLING DEPARTMENTS“Our top-selling tactical departments are MCB Camp Lejeune,

N.C.; MCB Camp Pendleton, Calif. and MCAGCC Twentynine Palms, Calif., which were also the commands that experienced the largest sales increases in 2009,” she reported.

MCB Camp Lejeune, with fiscal 2009 sales of $4.7 million, posted a 30.3-percent increase over the previous year’s sales (in dollars), according to Pruett, while MCB Camp Pendleton saw a 37.2 percent gain during the year with sales of $2.8 million. MCAGCC Twentynine Palms registered a 29.3-percent gain in sales last year, with a total of $2.47 million.

A significant increase in sales was also seen at MCAS Cherry Point, N.C., where its $325,165 in fiscal 2009 sales commanded a 30.1 percent gain.

MOST POPULAR GEARThe list of top-selling tactical gear items, by units, in MCX

stores for fiscal 2009 was led by the CLP 0.68-oz. weapons cleaner/lubricant, which moved 18,581 units. This was followed by the USMC WXP 3L Hydration System, which accounted for 16,443 units, and the USMC Replacement Tube Kit, with 16,416 units.

Next were duct tape, 2 in. X 10 yards, at 15,665 units; the Vector 1 W105 U.S. military whistle, at 14,204 units; and Super Leight’s foam earplugs, at 13,386 units.

StrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingStrategizingTo Extend GrowthTo Extend GrowthTo Extend Growth

MCX is expecting its fiscal 2010 tactical category sales to reach $14.8 million, an increase of 7 percent, but

not as aggressive as the 23.7 percent growth experienced

in the previous year.

Pruett

EXCHANGE and COMMISSARY NEWS54 | JULY 2010

MCX Tactical

ECN054,056.indd 54 6/21/10 3:57 PM

The compact MicroVault MV500 and biometric MicroVault MVB500 from GunVault are both constructed

of tamper-proof, heavy-gauge steel and offer quick access with the manufacturer’s No-Eyes keypad. Powered by four AA batteries with

audio and LED low-power warning, these gun safes feature a notebook-style design to fit inside a briefcase or backpack.

For more information, contact Billy Hughes at 817-490-0361 or email hughes.billy@sbcglobal.net.

reviewed sales on all tactical items currently on auto-replenishment to make sure our models accurately reflect current sales trends. We have another review of our replenishment models planned for August.”

Suppliers play an essential role in helping optimize key aspects of the MCX assortment. “We have strong partnerships with our vendors and rely on them to communicate information on new items, innovation, and trends in a timely manner,” Pruett said.

“We currently carry top-selling tactical items in our hybrid stores and Marine Marts,” she noted. “Some examples include Rite in the Rain notepads and pens, SureFire and Fulton Lighting, 550 cord, belts, CamelBak, light sticks and map pens.”

CLUSTERING ASSORTMENTS“We are currently working on clustering assort-

ments specifically for these types of stores to develop consistency among like-sized and volume stores that have similar customer demands,” Pruett explained. “Clustering assortments is a means of grouping stores together based on certain characteristics and ensuring they have the same assortment. This is a method that allows us to reduce the number of assortments we are managing.” —E and C NEWS

MEETING GOALS“We are planning sales at $14.8 million

for fiscal 2010, an increase of 7 percent,” Pruett said. “Our fiscal year-to-date sales for February

and March are $3.16 million, a gain of 31 percent, and we expect continued growth in this category,

though not as aggressive as the growth we experienced in 2009.”

ONGOING REVIEWS“To achieve these goals, we are constantly review-

ing assortments to ensure we have the right mix of vendors and items in our tactical departments,” she pointed out. “In March, we

In the seventh slot was the Staedtler Correction Pen, with 13,215 units; followed by 550 Survival Cord 50 Black, with 11,226 units; Camo Compac Three-Color Make-Up Kit, with 8,233 units; and Clear Coated Cable, with 6,645 units.

PROMOTIONS“We have two 12-page tactical ads during the

course of the year — one in June and another in October,” she noted. “These ads primarily feature tactical merchandise, but sports nutrition, military clothing and videogames are also represented.

“Emphasis is placed on the various tactical cat-egories, such as eyewear, bags, hydration, lighting, gloves, firearm accessories (cleaning/slings/holsters), and knives,” Pruett said. “The ads feature a combina-tion of best sellers and new items. Vendors provide co-op funding for these ads as well as in-store support to ensure featured goods are represented properly on the selling floors.

“All of our main stores saw success with our tactical ads and tent sales, but MCAGCC Twentynine Palms, MCB Camp Lejeune and MCB Camp Pendleton saw the most success,” she reported.

Tactical is a SKU-intensive category, with top-selling tactical items, including a wide

range of merchandise, everything from knapsacks to hydration systems, survival

cord, earplugs and gun cleaner.

MC

X P

ho

ToS

The compact MicroVault MV500 and biometric MicroVault MVB500 from GunVault are both constructed

of tamper-proof, heavy-gauge steel and offer quick access with the manufacturer’s No-Eyes keypad. Powered by four AA batteries with

and March are $3.16 million, a gain of 31 percent, and we expect continued growth in this category,

though not as aggressive as the growth we experienced in 2009.”

ONGOING REVIEWS

we are constantly reviewing assortments to ensure we have the right mix of vendors and items in our tactical departments,” she pointed out. “In March, we

‘Sales in general tactical, which includes such categories as lighting, eyewear, bags, gloves, pads and pens, are up 40 percent for fiscal year to

date through March, while knives and hydration were showing more modest increases of 13 to 15 percent.’

— MCX Tactical and Sporting Goods Buyer Robin Pruett

EXChANGE and CoMMISSARY NEWS56 | JULY 2010

MCX Tactical

ECN054,056.indd 56 6/24/10 3:19 PM