Dive Summary:
- Tom Shull is the first civilian to be named CEO of the military's $10 billion-a-year Army & Air Force Exchange Service, which operates permanent and temporary malls, base Exchange stores, movie theaters, fast-food restaurants and convenience stores in 30 countries.
- The position was a two-year officer assignment for 117 years, but Shull was hired under a 2011 Defense Department "efficiency initiatives" program and is working to help the Exchange stores compete with Wal-Mart, Best Buy and others as troops return home, bringing families closer to U.S. military bases.
- Using his military and business backgrounds, Shull is moving products on shopmyexchange.com past the membership firewall so they can be picked up by Google, upgrading the merchandise to include more prominent brands and moving away from expensive printed catalogs.
From the article:
... “We’ve got to better understand the dynamics of our competitors and provide better value,” Shull said.
As troops head home from Iraq and Afghanistan and more families move near and onto U.S. military bases, Exchange stores are competing with the likes of Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Cabela’s. ...
