Exchange Continues Serving Shoppers, Associates During COVID-19 Crisis

When disaster strikes the military community—including the current COVID-19 pandemic—the Exchange team continues to care for frontline associates and our Nation’s Warfighters and families.

At the forefront of this effort, is the Exchange Disaster Support Group (DSG), which keeps communication open and brings critical resources to associates and shoppers.

“We are ‘family serving family,’ and the DSG takes care of our frontline associates who are coming in every day to support our shoppers,” said Exchange President and Chief Merchandising Officer Ana Middleton.

The DSG brings together leaders from every directorate for frequent—sometimes daily—conference calls to provide a rapid response to a disaster or crisis.

The COVID-19 DSG began meeting Feb. 24 as the virus intensified in Korea and Italy.

“The DSG gets decision-makers on the same page quickly. As such, we can avoid silos and duplication of effort while working quickly to fulfill the most pressing needs of our shoppers and associates,” said Roger Neumann, vice president of contingency planning, who has coordinated the DSG since 2012. “Clear, concise communication allows the Exchange to respond quickly.”

During the pandemic, leaders have discussed the flow of hand sanitizer, cleaning products and other critical items to stores; safety measures for associates, stores and restaurants; and fulfilling command requests.

The group found new suppliers of some critical items until regular suppliers can restock.

“The DSG is working creative solutions to keep our global supply chain moving through all the challenges retailers are facing right now,” Neumann said. “We’re doing everything we can to get our shoppers and associates the critical items they need right now.”

Because COVID-19 is a global issue, Neumann is coordinating multiple calls to handle the time difference—Europe and CONUS in the morning Dallas time, and Pacific region in the evenings, which is “tomorrow morning” in Japan and Korea.

“We’re here to make sure that our military shoppers and associates—no matter where in the world they are assigned—are still being served through trying times, whether that’s a natural disaster or global pandemic,” Neumann said. “The Exchange goes where our service members go—that means we’re there for them whenever they need us.”

In the past, the DSG’s coordination made it possible for military shoppers in hurricane-ravaged areas to fuel up their cars when no other gas stations were open, buy emergency supplies when off-installation stores were sold out, and set up Mobile Field Exchanges within 48 hours of a disaster.

Now the team is ensuring Exchange shoppers in the areas hardest hit by COVID-19 have access to necessities and that both shoppers’ and associates’ health and well-being are safeguarded. This includes troops redeploying to home station and facing 14 days in a unit quarantine area before reuniting with family and friends.

“The DSG only works if everybody’s on board. The leadership we have in Exchange directorates and regions, combined with the dedication of the associates in our stores, has allowed the organization to take care of our shoppers through extremely difficult circumstances,” Neumann said. “That’s because we’re ‘one team, one fight.’ Everyone has the same goal: to take care of the best customers in the world through thick and thin.”