NUMBER OF POTENTIAL SUPPLIERS - AAFES purchases merchandise from a multitude of suppliers. Each Contracting Officer or Buyer is responsible for the final decision within their departments on whether to purchase a product for resale. AAFES does not have any obligation to purchase any product unless a written purchase order is issued to the supplier by the Contracting Officer or Buyer. Although AAFES is a federal organization, it is a non-appropriated fund (NAF) instrumentality that does not rely on tax dollars appropriated by Congress for major support. AAFES operates almost exclusively with funds generated from its business income. While AAFES is subject to directives issued by the Department of Defense, in addition to applicable Federal laws, procurement laws and regulations that apply to spending tax dollars, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulations (48 CFR 1, et. seq.) do not generally apply to AAFES procurement. Because AAFES is a non-appropriated fund instrumentality of the federal government there are no set asides when it comes to procurement.

PRICING - AAFES requires pricing that provides maximum value to our customers and is consistent with a fair and equitable return to AAFES while maintaining competition with outside retailers. Our mission is to bring value, service, and support to our 11.5 million authorized customers at military installations in the United States, Europe and in the Pacific.

PRODUCT QUALITY – AAFES’ Quality Assurance (QA) program provides a high-level of customer protection, in support of the AAFES mission to provide high-quality goods. Merchandise bought for resale will be evaluated at our Quality Assurance Testing Laboratory as appropriate before it is sold to our customers. Products sold to AAFES must comply with all federal, state and local laws pertaining to product safety and quality, as well as with AAFES quality standards. Your product will have to meet the same high quality standards of other merchandise that is already being sold in our stores, catalog and on our internet site. This allows AAFES to uphold our reputation of offering our customers quality merchandise.

U.P.C. - The ability to provide Universal Product Code (U.P.C.) labeling is required. To obtain a UCC company prefix for the UPC number you must first become a member of the Uniform Code Council.

CERTIFICATION - Buyers may ask for a copy of your certification.

EDI - Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) is required either directly or through a third party. EDI is the electronic transmission of data between AAFES and its suppliers. Some examples of major Transaction Sets include purchase orders, invoices, and advance ship notices.

GDS - AAFES is fully committed to Global Data Synchronization (GDS) and is striving for 100% accurate item data processed electronically through a GS1 certified Data Pool.

PRODUCT SUBMISSION - Potential suppliers should be able to supply a manufactured product, as it will be sold, upon request. AAFES does not support firms with capital investment to complete designs or merchandise ideas or instruct suppliers on what items they should produce.

LEAD TIME & DELIVERY - All suppliers must be able to meet AAFES lead times and deliver according to AAFES' timing schedules. Production flexibility as related to quantity is necessary and each item purchase is a unique situation. It may be stocked in a few stores or in as many as a couple of hundred stores, depending upon if it is being bought for a specific region of stores or worldwide.

4. Submit an Online Source List Application only if you think you can meet the above requirements.

5. Do not send samples unless they are requested by the Contracting Officer or Buyer.

The Next Step

Once you have submitted your Source List Application, your information will be made available to the AAFES Contracting Officers and Buyers responsible for procuring the types of products that you offer. If a determination is made that we are in need of the products, you will be contacted for consideration. While we will give consideration to utilizing your firm, please recognize that there is no guarantee of business.

Please do not be discouraged if you don't hear from us right away. While we may not be in a position to consider your offer to supply products to us at the time of submission of your Source List Application, your information will remain on file for one year.

To simplify procedures, and because AAFES' buying authority is divided among many individuals, the Supplier Diversity Office is available to answer prospective minority or women-owned supplier's initial questions. Please contact our Supplier Diversity Department at:

Army & Air Force Exchange Service
3911 S. Walton Walker Blvd. (CD-D)
Dallas, TX 75236
e-mail: supplierdiversity@aafes.com

Related Information:

BOOKS, NEWSPAPERS,  & MAGAZINES

All new suppliers including minority and women-owned businesses seeking to provide Expense, Supplies and Equipment to AAFES should adhere to the guidelines in our Terms and Conditions.

Diverse suppliers are mandatory sources for purchases of SUPPLIES OR EQUIPMENT when the following applies:

• the firm is responsible and can meet the requirement with fair and reasonable prices
• the requirement is $ 2,500 or less and
• the requirement is not available from
• National Industries for the Blind (NIB) or
• National Institute for the Severely Handicapped (NISH)

Diverse suppliers are mandatory sources for CONSTRUCTION not exceeding $2,000; provided a responsible firm can meet the requirement with fair and reasonable prices. For current construction opportunities, please click here.