The next round of tours to connect the interns with their department and their responsibility to the rest of the company occurred this week. The tours were of the Navy Exchange Retail Store and the Navy Gateway Inn and Suites. The experience for me was of course lessened as I am the target demographic and have lived with and experienced these places my entire life, there were some pleasant surprises along the way. However, yet again I was able to add to the other Interns experience with my own knowledge.
The first visit was to the Navy Exchange Retail Store in Norfolk, it is the largest store in the enterprise. If you can think of Sears’s stores before they went out of business, that is how the Navy Exchange Retail stores are, but slightly more as there is also “consumables”. Similar departments such as clothing, automotive, houseware, tools, home and garden, appliances and electronics. Something that the retail stores get is extra attention from the vendors, as they daily or often have representatives to help promote their products and assist consumers. Much like Best Buy will have an Apple or Samsung representative, the NEX gets far more vendor interaction. They also have partnerships for what are traditionally bigger departments that sort of outsources the stock and purchasing of thing like appliances with Home Depot and furniture with Ashley Furniture. It is a very impressive store when you consider the warehouse side of the house with it. The other major department at the NEX is the Uniform Department, which furnishes all the uniforms and associated items for ranks E-1 to O-9.
The final destination of the Intern tours was of the Navy Gateway Inn and Suites (NGIS). The NGIS is meant for those in or associated with military service to have cheaper hotel stays. The primary purpose is for those who are on temporary duty orders (TDY) or Permanent Change of Station orders (PCS). However anyone of association can rent a room while traveling or for vacation, assuming there is availability/vacancy not taken by those TDY or PCS. The NGIS have 5 different types of rooms, very temporary stays rooms much like a hotel, ADA accessible rooms for those with handicaps, and Suites, with full on kitchens or kitchenettes. I was able to explain to the other Interns that typically those on TDY or PCS would with be reimbursed for their lodging expenses or they would be covered up front.
Overall the Navy Exchange Service Command has a wide reach covering many areas, with the mission to provide goods and services, cheap and accessible to Sailors, Marines and other service members and their families. A large portion of their profits going straight to benefiting Morale, Welfare and Recreation programs.